The Joint Action Council of the trade unions was closeted in Neyveli late on Thursday night, according to information received here.
Sources at Neyveli Lignite Corporation told Express that the striking workers were awaiting a categorical assurance from the Centrethat the disinvestment proposal is being put on hold.
The sources added that such an assurance from Delhi would make the striking workers reconsider their stand on the agitation.
Meanwhile, B Surender Mohan, chairman-cum-managing director of the NLC, appealed to the striking employees to withdraw their agitation and rejoin duty as the disinvestment proposal was policy decision of the Centre. As many as 99 contract workers were arrested when they attempted rail roko at the Mandarakuppam railway station on Thursday (July 11) as part of their ongoing agitation against the move for disinvestment of NLC shares.
The contract labourers, led by M Sekar, district secretary of AITUC and K Venkatesan, general secretary of Jeeva Contract Labourers Union, took out a rally from the bus stand to picket the Cuddalore-Tiruchy passenger train at Mandarakuppam railway station. The police moved in to arrest them before the workers could block the train. The employees belonging to various trade unions were engaged in a door-to-door campaign and distributed pamphlets requesting engineers to join the strike.
About 4,500 engineers of the thermal power stations and mines are not participating in the agitation.