Farmers Movement Archive

Staff of Vizag Steel prep to intensify stir, may go on indefinite strike soon

Workers of the Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL), also known as the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, on Thursday served a notice to the management of the company stating that they would go on an indefinite strike from any day after March 25, in protest against the Centre’s decision to privatise the steel plant.The notice was served to the chairman and managing director of RINL, P K Rath, by Visakha Ukku Parirakshana Porata Samithi (Struggle committee to protect the Vizag Steel Plant), a joint action committee of all trade unions, in accordance with the provisions contained in Sub-section (1) of Section 22 of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947.The JAC said as per the rules, they were giving notice of 14 days to resolve the issues raised by them. “We propose to call a strike on or after March 25, 2021 for the reasons mentioned in the notice,” the JAC said.The committee demanded the withdrawal of the approval accorded on January 27, 2021 by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) for 100 per cent strategic sale of the RINL and scrapping of the inter-ministerial group constituted to study the strategic sale.The trade unions also demanded scrapping of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed with South Korean steel major POSCO on October 23, 2019, for floating a joint venture company for construction of an integrated steel plant on the land of RINLThey asked the RINL management to suspend the recently concluded Memorandum of Understanding with National Buildings Construction Corporation (NBCC) India Ltd for redevelopment and monetisation of land parcels of the steel plant located at Maddilapalem in Visakhapatnam city.They also demanded that all the left-out R-Card (rehabilitation card) holders (those who had given away their land to the steel plant in ‘80s on the promise that they would be given jobs in the steel plant) be given permanent employment.The trade unions, which stepped up their agitation after Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s categorical announcement in Lok Sabha on Monday that the Centre would go ahead with 100 per cent disinvestment in the RINL, are planning to follow the strategy of the farmers who have been agitating on the Delhi borders demanding repeal of controversial farm legislations.They are planning to invite Rakesh Tikait and others to a rally to be held in Visakhapatnam on March 28 to address the steel plant workers. “We are studying their model of agitation and if possible, we shall adopt their strategy to wage a long-drawn battle to prevent privatisation of the steel plant,” trade union leader J Ayodhya Ramu said.The main reason for the disinvestment, according to the RINL management, was that the steel plant had been consistently making losses over a period of time. In 2017-18, it suffered a loss of ₹1,369 crore. Though it could recover briefly by making a net profit of ₹97 crore in 2018-19, it plunged into huge losses to the extent of ₹3,910 crore in 2019-20.Support for the agitating workers of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant has been pouring in from various quarters. Popular Telugu film star and former Union minister K Chiranjeevi expressed his solidarity with the steel plant workers.“Visakhapatnam Steel Plant is a symbol of numerous sacrifices. It is the right of the Andhra people and their self-respect. Let’s rise above parties and regions. With a steely resolve, let’s save Visakha Steel Plant,” Chiranjeevi tweeted late on Tuesday.He said it was not justified to say that the VSP is being privatised because it is incurring losses since all these years it has been deprived of captive mines.Telangana Rashtra Samithi working president K T Rama Rao, too, announced that he would stand by the people of Visakhapatnam in their fight against privatization of the VSP. “If necessary, with permission of chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, we will visit Visakhapatnam to extend our support,” he said.

Hindustan Times

11-03-2021

India