Taking exception to the report in a section of the media that the Tata Steel is keen on taking over the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP), the CPI(M) leaders and the members of the Visakha Uukku Parirakshana Porata Committee have described it as a ploy of by the Centre to divert the issue of privatisation of the steel plant.
“The Tata Steel evincing interest in the VSP was a leak to the select media and this was aimed at diverting the mood of the agitation against the privatisation move. We believe that the Tatas have no interest in taking over the plant and the deal has already been sealed with South Korean major Posco,” Visakha Ukku Parirakshana Porata Committee Chairman Ch. Narasinga Rao, who is also the CPI(M) State secretariat member, told the media here on Wednesday.
He pointed out that as there were no bidders for the legal and transaction advisors, the name of the Tatas was floated to ‘misdirect’ the employees of the steel plant who have been agitating since over 180 days.
“The VSP employees and the Visakha Ukku Parirakshana Porata Committee do not welcome the takeover by the Tatas, the Posco, the Mittals, the Jindals or any other private company. Our only demand is to see that the plant remains as public sector unit (PSU). Takeover by the private sector will do no good as all the companies have same philosophy and they behave in the same way,” said Mr. Narasinga Rao.
According to Mr. Narasinga Rao, all private sector companies believe in automation, trimming of manpower, 12 hour shift and de-unionisation.
‘No holy cow’
“The Tata group is no holy cow. In 1966, they retrenched over 700 employees from the Tata Steel and never recruited them back, despite a sustained agitation. They did not even allow Subhas Chandra Bose, who founded the union in the Tata Steel to hold a meeting. In any private sector, employees cannot voice their concerns. We vehemently oppose the privatisation of the VSP,” he said.
