Visakhapatnam: Centre flayed for ignoring welfare of workers

Visakhapatnam: The 'Ukku Karmika Garjana' has ignited a fighting spirit against privatisation of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP) here on Saturday.

The speech delivered by the national trade union leaders took the movement to the next level. As part of the agitation, trade union leaders raised their voice against the BJP government's decision to privatise PSUs and extended their support for the movement at a huge public meeting held at the steel plant's Trishna Grounds.

Speaking on the occasion, INTUC all India president G Sanjeeva Reddy said the government was not bothered about labour welfare. He said if the steel plant is privatised, the reservation system will be lost. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is looking to privatise all public institutions, will not succeed," he mentioned and made it clear that the struggle against privatisation would continue across the country.

Sanjeeva Reddy recollected that previous governments too tried to privatise several steel plants, but private players were not allowed to step into the premises and were sent back. Such a situation will arise again, he added.

Sanjeeva Reddy clarified that they will also go to the Supreme Court legally to stop the VSP's privatisation if required.

CITU national general secretary Tapan Sen mentioned that whoever turned the trade movement into a people's movement will remain as 'heroes'. He questioned how the only integrated plant in the country can be handed over to private management.

Except RINL, Tapan Sen mentioned that private steel plants in the county have their own mines. He asked the Centre whether there were any records of any steel industry making profits during the year. He warned the BJP government that private managements who come to buy the VSP will be surely shown the door.

He called on everyone to come on to the roads, reiterating that moral support alone was not enough for the movement.

AITUC national general secretary Amarjeet Kaur inspired the employees. She said the PM knows patriotism when he comes to Trishna Grounds and how the employees and people protect the country's wealth.

Amarjeet Kaur said she has learned a lot from watching the VSP movement which stood as an example for other States to fight for a cause.

She criticised the Central government which could not collect a single rupee from those who plundered the country's wealth, defrauded the PSU banks and fled abroad.

She assured once the VSP gets its own mines, the company is sure to earn profits in a year. Trade union leaders D Adinarayana, J Ayodhya Ram, M Rajasekhar, thousands of employees and family members attended the meeting.