Trade unions, Oppn parties to jointly fight against VSP Privatisation

Visakhapatnam: Even as Ukku stir will be completing 1,000 days on November 8, the Centre’s strong stand on privatising Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP) is largely attributed to the State government’s apathy.

With the State government taking a back step in the fight to retain the VSP as a public sector unit, the trade unions have decided to intensify their agitation further in future.

From a district-wide bandh that was earlier scheduled on November 8, the trade unions are calling for a State-wide bandh. The steel plant employees from across the country are going to stage a protest, expressing their solidarity with the ongoing Ukku stir. On November 8, marking the 1,000-day Ukku stir, they will protest too.

Visakha Ukku Parirakshana Porata Committee (VUPPC) chairman D Adinarayana mentioned that even as the Central government tried to privatise the PSUs in other States, the respective State governments did not allow that to happen as they mounted pressure on the Union government.

“However, the scenario is totally different in Andhra Pradesh. If the State government continues to fail to exert pressure on the Centre, other political parties are ready to come together to fight against the State and Central governments for the sake of saving the VSP,” he said.

Already, a number of protests were carried out to protect the steel plant in Visakhapatnam from getting sold to private players. “But, when the political parties join the Ukku stir, they have their own political agenda to be met. There is an apparent lack of dedication among them to stop the Centre from going ahead with the privatisation move. Certainly, people are waiting to teach a befitting lesson to the State government in the forthcoming elections,” mentioned U Rama Swamy, general secretary of CITU.

With the support of students’ federation and people’s associations, all India secretary of INTUC Mantri Rajasekhar said, “The Ukku stir will be taken to the next level unless and until the Union government withdraws privatising the VSP for good.”

On many occasions, the Central government has withdrawn its decisions. They include rolling back of three farm laws and withdrawal of privatising Nagarnar Steel Plant in Chhattisgarh. However, the Centre is going ahead with the strategic sale of the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant.

Absence of unity among the political parties and their coordinated battle are said to be the main reasons for it. As a result, the trade unions and Opposition parties are coming together to wage a common battle with a sole agenda of saving the VSP.