BANGALORE: State-run HAL has entered a new crisis as 20,000 workers are all sit to start an indefinite strike. Talks between the management and employees' union failed on Sunday. The employees are protesting against HAL's refusal to accept their wage revision demands

Over 20,000 workers of state-run aerospace major Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) will go on an "indefinite strike" starting Monday after talks with the management over wage revision failed to end the stalemate.

"As talks and reconciliation efforts with the management failed on our demands, especially wage revision, we are going ahead with the indefinite strike from Monday as per the notice we served a fortnight ago (September 30) in compliance with the labour laws," HAL's 9 trade unions' general secretary S Chandrasekhar told IANS.

However, HAL on Sunday said the workers have decided to go ahead with the "indefinite strike" despite the PSU making "all out efforts" to avert it. An apex body of the employees unions said the management 'refused' to consider their "fair and reasonable demands".

The employees unions of the Bangalore-headquartered HAL have served notice at all locations of the Defence PSU to go on the indefinite strike from Monday with regard to settlement of wage revision effective from January 1, 2017.

The 55-year-old aerospace major has about 20,000 employees in 5 production complexes in Bangalore, Hyderabad, Koraput in Odisha, Lucknow and Nashik in Maharashtra and 4 research and development (R&D) centres across the country.

The HAL in a release said it held conciliatory talks on Saturday and Sunday in a bid to avert the strike an offered to enhance allowance under the cafeteria system and revised rate of fitment benefit at 11 per cent among others.

"Despite the management's concerted efforts towards bringing an amicable/early wage settlement, unions unfortunately have adopted a recalcitrant approach and did not accept the offer and decided to resort to indefinite strike; in spite of management's appeal not to resort to an indefinite strike and resolve the issue in a spirit of accommodation," HAL said.

It said the latest round of talks, 11th in the series of meetings held so far, were conducted keeping in view the overwhelming sentiment amongst majority of the employees for amicable and expeditious resolution of the issues and the overall interest of the organisation.

During the talks, a stock of issues settled and a few pending issues was taken up and the management also offered to enhance allowances under cafeteria system and revised rate of fitment benefit at 11 per cent, the release said.

The wage negotiation committee also apprised the unions the ill-effects of resorting to any strike jeopardising the interest of the employees and organisation and the nation at large, it added.

The All-India HAL Trade Unions' Co-ordination Committee (AIHALTUCC) said the decision to launch the strike was taken at a meeting held under the chairmanship of the Committee chief convener Suryadevara Chandrasekhar.

The AIHALTUCC which met here "took stock of the situation arising out of the management's refusal to consider the fair and reasonable demands of the unions in regard to wage revision."

It resolved that all workmen in all the HAL divisions will be commencing their indefinite strike from Monday as decided earlier.

A resolution adopted at the meeting appealed to all workmen to fully participate in the indefinite strike and make it a "historical success," a release from AIHALTUCC, which comprises nine recognised unions, said.