Visakhapatnam: LIC unions demand repeal of labour codes

Visakhapatnam: The BJP government is selling public assets and public sector units in the name of 'National Asset Monetisation Pipeline' (NMP). Since their inception, the PSUs have been the backbone of the nation's economy, said those who took part in the dharna held at Dwarakanagar here on Monday.

As a part of the two-day nationwide general strike called out by The Insurance Corporation Employees Union from Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram and Srikakulam affiliated to All India Insurance Employees Association (AIIEA), the union leaders at the divisional office mentioned that the PSUs have contributed thousands of crores of rupees to the nation building. It is unfortunate that the government is bent on selling them away to the corporate sector, they pointed out.

The employees union pointed out that irrespective of the agitation carried out by the employees and union leaders of the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant for the past 400 days, the BJP government is continuing with its strategic sale without paying any heed to the pleas of the protesters. Even banks and PSGI companies were not spared, they said.

The announcement made by the government with regard to bringing in the IPO in LIC by selling the government share of 5 percent was made without taking the opinion of the 40 crore policyholders, the union leaders said.

Repealing of anti-worker labour codes, scrapping of NPS, restoring old pension schemes, and improvement in family pension schemes were some of the demands made on the occasion.

LIC development officer Ravi Kumar, president ICEU Vizag M Kameshwari, general secretary of Insurance Corporation Employees Union (ICEU) G Varaprasada Rao, LIC union leader A Ramakrishna Rao and others participated in the protest.