The Madras High Court on Friday directed the Cuddalore Superintendent of Police (SP) to ensure the safety of Neyveli Lignite Corporation (NLC). It also called for a detailed report by August 3 from the Collector as well as the SP “with regard to the happenings in and around NLC.”
Justice M. Dhandapani passed the interim orders on a writ petition filed by NLC India Limited (NLCIL) to restrain members of NLC Jeeva Oppandha Thozhilalar Sangam, a trade union, and other contract workmen from going on an illegal strike and preventing the entry of those willing to work.
During the course of hearing the case related to labour dispute, the judge expressed deep anguish over fertile lands being cleared now using earthmovers to take possession of the properties that were acquired by the corporation more than a decade ago for its expansion activities.
Senior Counsel P.S. Raman, representing the NLC management, told the court that NLCIL had been a pioneer among the public sector enterprises in the country in the energy sector and it contributes major share in lignite production and significant share in thermal and renewable energy generation.
At present, NLCIL operates three opencast lignite mines of total installed capacity of 30 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) at Neyveli.
It also operates four lignite based pit head thermal power stations with an aggregate capacity of 3,390 MW at Neyveli.
Stating that NLCIL has 10,420 employees, including the workmen category, on its rolls in Neyveli, Mr. Raman said, the mining and power generation activities were required to be carried out throughout the year since lignite by its vary nature could not be transported for long distances.
“The mining activity is labour intensive though heavy mining equipment are also utilised,” Mr. Raman said and pointed out that there were multiple labour unions in NLC and one of them representing the contract workers was the NLC Jeeva Oppandha Thozhilalar Sangam.
He recalled that the unions representing the contract workmen had entered into a settlement with the management on August 7, 2020 with respect to a charter of demands which included wage revision. Then it was agreed that the settlement would be valid from 2020 to 2026 and that any dispute would be resolved only through talks.
In violation of the clauses of the settlement deed, the NLC Jeeva trade union had issued a strike notice on June 1 this year and began to issue pamphlets containing false propaganda in order to incite gullible contract workers, the Senior Counsel said and sought to restrain the union from resorting to an illegal strike.
