The privatisation and sale of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant and other public sector organisations will have adverse impact on the employment of workers in the organised and unorganised sectors, Confederation of Free Trade Unions of India (CFTUI) national executive committee member Balabhanu has said.
She was addressing the participants on the 116th day of the relay hunger strike against privatisation of the VSP, being organised by people’s organisations and trade unions at the Gandhi statue, near the GVMC, here, on Monday.
The CFTUI leader called upon the people to teach the Union government a lesson, which has put up the VSP and other PSUs for sale. The common people, who were already reeling under the impact of rise in the prices of essential commodities due to the lopsided policies of the government, were being further hit due to privatisation, she said.
PSUs, which have provided permanent jobs to lakhs of people apart from providing employment opportunities to those in the unorganised sector, were responsible for the growth and development of Visakhapatnam city. They contributed to the growth of trade and promoted social justice. The Union government was trying to sell the public assets to corporate groups, she alleged.
CFTUI national president M. Kanaka Rao, JAC chairman M. Jaggu Naidu, vice chairmen Padala Ramana and B. Nagabushanam, JAC leaders Y. Kondanna and Ganesh Panda spoke. They said that the ‘Chalo Delhi’ programme would be organised on August 2 and 3. They called upon workers to stage protests in the city on those days. The VSP was dedicated to the nation on August 1, 1992. A massive rally would be organised from Dondaparty to the Gandhi statue on August 1. They called upon workers, employees and people from all walks of life to participate in the rally and make it a huge success.
Meanwhile, the relay hunger strikes being organised by the Visakha Ukku Parirakshana Porata Committee at Kurmannapalem continued for the 165th day on Monday.
Committee chairman D. Adinarayana, convener J. Ayodhyaram and co- convener Gandham Venkata Rao called for further intensification of the agitation as the Centre was adamant on its decision on strategic sale of the VSP.
