Neyveli Lignite Corporation talks fail; workers to intensify protest

CHENNAI: An end to the 35-day old strike by contract workers of Neyveli Lignite Corporation remained elusive as the tenth round of tripartite talks held here today to break the impasse failed to yeild any positive result.

Officials of trade unions, spearheading the strike, said the protest would be intensified.

Today's talks involving the representatives of employees and management were held in the presence of Labour Commissioner K Shekar after nine rounds of negotiations held earlier in Cuddalore, Puducherry and here failed.

The contract labourers have been on the strike, pressing various demands including wage revision and regularisation.

Emerging from the four-hour long meeting, President of Contract Labourers Association, one of the unions, Devaraj said the "talks have failed".

"As part of intensifying their protests, the agitating workers would seek support of other political parties and picket the NLC headquarters on October 9," he told reporters.