MDMK general secretary Vaiko said that Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has assured him that the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) at Perambur in Chennai will not be privatised.
Mr. Vaiko, and Erode MP A. Ganesamoorthy, met Mr. Vaishnaw in Delhi on Saturday at the Railway Ministry building. Mr. Vaiko told the Railway Minister that there were reports and fear among the employees of ICF that the coach factory was going to be privatised. He said ICF is one of the most profitable public sector enterprises in the country.
“If ICF is privatised, it would lead to retrenchment; thousands of employees will lose their jobs. The welfare of the employees will be completely disregarded. Hence, ICF should not be privatised for any reason,” Mr. Vaiko told Mr. Vaishnaw according to a statement issued by the MDMK.
The statement said Mr. Vaishnaw told Mr. Vaiko that only nine countries in the world have a facility like the ICF. Mr. Vaishnaw assured the MDMK leader that ICF will not be given to any private entity for any reason and that Mr. Vaiko could share this news with the employees of the ICF.
