About 12,000 permanent employees of Neyveli Lignite Corporation will go on an indefinite strike from this week in support of 13,000 agitating contract workmen, a top union leader of NLC authorised DMK trade union wing said in Nevyeli on Wednesday.

S Gopalan, Labour Progressive Front leader said that the joint council of company authorised trade unions DMK and PMK would meet on September 30 after which the date for a permanent strike would be announced.

He alleged that the 'anti-labour' attitude of NLC Chairman A R Ansari was the reason for failure of five rounds of tripartite talks convened by the labour commissioner, management and unions.

Contract workers had commenced an indefinite strike from Sept 19 this year on a 10 point charter of demands, including permanent employment, higher salary, equal pay to equal work.

Meanwhile, L Subramanian, Deputy Chief Engineer (Thermal) said power generation from the three thermal plants today was 1,950 MW per hour of the total capacity of 2490 MW per hour.

However two 210 MW units in the second thermal unit and one 100 MW unit in first thermal station is not generating power.

"Power generation has been affected due to the strike and some technical problems," he said.