DMK president M Karunanidhi has sought Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's intervention to settle the strike by contract workers of the Neyveli Lignite Corporation which entered the 17th day today.
"While the AIADMK government in the state is not worried about solving the issue, talks should be held between the management and workers by the department concerned and I request the Prime Minister to take steps," he said in a statement here today.
About 14,000 contract workers at NLC are on indefinite strike, demanding regularisation of services in a phased manner and implementation of 'equal pay for equal work' formula, among other things.
Karunanidhi said one of the demands by agitating workers was the allocation of entire power from NLC to the state.
"Therefore, though the state government is not directly concerned, it could have come forward to solve the issue by taking it up with Centre," he said and recalled that he had in 2008 as chief minister opposed and taken up with the Centre a proposal for disinvestment in NLC.
