Neyveli, Tamil Nadu:
Striking workers of the Neyveli Lignite Corporation (NLC) today rejected the plea of the company Chairman B Surrender Mohan to withdraw the strike and intensified their protest against disinvestment of the PSU by beginning an indefinite fast.
R Balakrishnan, NLC Deputy Manager, told reporters that Coal Minister S Jaiswal had asked the Chairman to hold a meeting with trade unions and request them to withdraw the stir. The minister had said within few days, NLC share issue will be sorted out, Balakrishnan said.
Following this, Mohan convened a meeting with trade unions but his request to withdraw the stir was rejected, the official said.
S K Acharya, Director, NLC, Human Resource Department, top officials and leaders of 13 trade unions participated.
It was the first meeting convened by NLC after the strike commenced on July 3.
Earlier in the day, R Udayakumar; Secretary, Anna Workers and Staff Union, expressed willingness to withdraw their 11-day strike in 24 hours if the Centre accepts Tamil Nadu's proposal to purchase the stake.
In another development, Chief Minister Jayalalithaa today wrote to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh informing that her government has appointed a nodal officer to discuss the issue of it buying five per cent NLC shares which Centre has proposed to disinvest.