Visakhapatnam: Ukku stir to be taken to national capital
Trade union representatives expressing solidarity with Visakha Ukku Parirakshana Porata Committee members to take Ukku stir to the next level in Visakhapatnam on Monday
Visakhapatnam: Ukku stir that took various forms such as rallies, 'rasta roko', relay hunger strikes, public meetings, 'padayatra' and state-wide bandhs thus far will now be taken to the next level.
So far, the stir was confined to the city and the State. From now, its heat is going to spread like a wildfire in the national capital.
In line with this, over 3,000 trade union representatives and employees of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP) plan to reach Delhi to participate in 'Chalo Parliament' scheduled in the first week of August.
Upset over the Central government's apathy, Visakha Ukku Parirakshana Porata Committee called for a concerted fight against the proposal to privatise the steel plant. In connection with this, Chalo Parliament followed by a dharna at Jantar Mantar was planned by members of the Porata Committee.
Despite an over 150-day-long hunger strike put up at Kurmannapalem, the committee members expressed disappointment over the Union government's determined move towards the 100 per cent strategic sale of the steel plant.
Brushing aside repeated appeals by the workers, the Union government is taking steps one after the other towards privatisation of the VSP. As a part of it, a bid for engagement of a legal advisor for 100 per cent strategic disinvestment of Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited was called for.
The complete details regarding scope of work, eligibility conditions, bid evaluation process, format for submission of technical and financial bids, etc will be focussed on.
The major step taken by the Union government drew the ire of the VSP employees, provoking them to take the stir forward.
They say that their efforts are to dissuade the Centre from going ahead with its strategic sale of the VSP at any cost. "As long as we are alive, we will not allow the privatisation of plant to take shape.
Unlike before, Ukku stir is all set to turn fierce," mention J Ayodhya Ram, Mantri Rajasekhar, D Adi Narayana and V Srinivas, all members of the Porata Committee along with other union leaders.