NLC for contract workers absorption

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Cuddalore: The Neyveli Lignite Corporation (NLC) has started the process of enrolment of contract workmen into the Indcoserve society, a long-pending demand of the trade unions, paving the way for their absorption into regular jobs in the Navaratna lignite company.
 
Sources in NLC said as per the settlement reached between the management and the trade unions on June 3, 2012, it was agreed to induct workers into Indcoserve society within four months. The management also agreed to withdraw the special leave petition pending before the Supreme Court, questioning the union’s demand for regularisation of contract workers.
 
“The process was set in motion on Monday and as many as 4,313 workers would be absorbed into the society. Since NLC cannot absorb all the contract workers into the society at the same time, it has decided to enrol 300 workers per day - 150 in the morning and another 150 in the forenoon. This process would go on till June 17,” a senior official in NLC said.
 
K. Venkatesan, general secretary of Jeeva Contract Labourers Union, said though the provisional list of private contract workmen eligible for enrolment in the NLC Indcoserve society was released in December 2012, the process of absorption got delayed due to various reasons. However, the main contention between the management and trade unions now was the number of existing vacancies in regular jobs in the company. Though the workers have urged the management to release the list of vacancies from 1990, the management has refused to accede to the demand.
 
Venkatesan said as per information obtained through the right to information Act, 10,281 permanent workers had retired from November 30, 1990 to February 6, 2007. Similarly, about 1,316 workers had died during service from January 2, 1991 to February 6, 2007.
 
The management should fill up all these existing vacancies, he said, adding that the trade unions would hold a demonstration in front of the assistant labour commissioner’s office in Puducherry on June 7 in support of the demand.