CHENNAI: With around 15,000 employees of state-run Neyveli Lignite Corporation (NLC) going on an indefinite strike from July 20 seeking wage revision, NLC today said calculations by Unions on the matter were only to "mislead" and "confuse" employees.
"During wage revision meetings, all aspects were explained in detail to the recognised unions on repeated occasions. Not a single time during the discussions did the unions raise any apprehensions or doubts on the calculations made by the management", NLC said in a statement.
NLC denied the Unions' charge that the wage revision calculations made by the management were "not true" and said 'misleading' calculations projected by the unions are aimed only at misdirecting and confusing the employees.
On the charges that the pay offered by NLC is low, it said the management has already extended a good offer and this was perhaps the best among comparable PSUs in the country.
On the ongoing negotiations between employees and Unions in the presence of the State Labour Commissioner, it said the employees registered to recognised trade unions had already been paid an interim relief ranging from Rs 1,500 to Rs 4,700 per month since June, 2014.
"The recognised unions and employees may accept the offer by the management and refrain from taking recourse to agitation", it said. The employees had commenced an indefinite strike on the night of July 20, pressing their demand for wage revision.
The strike call was given by the Joint Action Council of 13 trade unions, including CITU, INTUC, AITUC and AIADMK union on July 19, following failure of talks between them and the management two days earlier at Neyveli over the wage issue.
The management had offered 10 per cent increase, while the unions demanded 24 per cent. NLC had said that about 6,000 engineers and officers were not taking part in the strike and that operation of its three thermal plants, which totally generate 2,490 MW per day, would not be affected. Wage revision in the public sector giant is implemented once every five years. The last revision was in 2007.