CHENNAI: Calling for the Centre’s intervention in finding a resolution to the continuing Neyveli Lignite Corporation imbroglio, PMK founder Dr S Ramadoss on Sunday demanded that the services of all contract workers in the company be regularised.
In a statement, Ramadoss said the contract labourers had been carrying out peaceful protests since August 23 in support of their six demands including regularisation of contract workers and equal pay for equal work. Since their demands had been rejected by the NLC management, the workers had threatened to go on strike from September 3.
Accusing the NLC management of adopting an indifferent attitude on the issue, he pointed out that the Madras High Court had ordered the regularisation of contract workers in 2008. In April last, the Supreme Court too had rejected the management’s appeal and ordered that the services of the 10,372 contract workers to be regularised.
“Subsequently, the management regularised a few workers. Now, it has announced its intention to regularise only 200 workers and has initiated measures in this regard,” Ramadoss said.
The PMK leader also condemned the NLC management’s rejection of the contract workers’ demand to implement the SC directive during the tripartite talks held on August 2.
“There are more contract workers than regular workers at NLC and the management treats them like slaves,” he said. “They receive only one-seventh of a regular worker’s wage,” he added.