The indefinite strike by more than 10,000 contract labourers of Neyveli Lignite Corporation (NLC) entered the fourth day today, despite the Madras High Court order restraining them from continuing the stir.
Secretary of Joint Action Committee of 17 trade unions T Srinivasan (CITU) told reporters at Neyveli in the district that the workers have been forced to go on the agitation by the management and they will file a petition in the high court on September 8 praying for vacating the stay order.
Passing interim orders on a petition by the public sector company, the high court had yesterday restrained the unions from proceeding with the strike till October 7.
Srinivasan said the NLC had failed to honour its assurance given to the Supreme Court in April last year on regularisation of contract workers and had been adopting delaying tactics, forcing them to launch the indefinite strike from September 3.
Meanwhile, an NLC bus proceeding to Uyakondaravi village for bringing workers was torched by some unidentified persons this morning, police said.
The driver and two other occupants of the bus escaped unhurt. A case has been registered in connection with the incident but no arrest had been made, they said, adding police personnel have been deployed in strength in Neyvili town.
NLC Public Relations Officer S Sridhar told PTI that power generation at the thermal plants operated by NLC and production of lignite had not been affected by the strike. Regular employees, workmen and officers did not participate in the strike, he said.
CISF personnel were posted to provide security to the mines and thermal units and to avoid entry by outsiders, a CISF official said.
