The general strike observed in response to the nation-wide strike call given by the Central trade unions against the ‘anti-labour policies of the Centre was partial and peaceful in the city on Friday.
Rallies, meetings and protests were held outside Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) and at junctions. The PSUs reported thin attendance as most workers voluntarily stayed away from their duties. Autorickshaws were off the roads in many areas of the city as the bandh organisers went around and prevented them from picking up commuters. Private vehicles and taxis plied normally. Most schools and colleges declared a holiday in advance to avoid confusion among students. Thousands of workers gathered on the road outside Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP) and raised slogans denouncing the Centre for its plans to ‘privatise the plant’ and for not granting captive mines to it. Almost all major trade unions, barring the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), participated in the strike.
CITU leader Ch. Narasinga Rao said VSP had incurred a loss of Rs.1,420 crore due to the policies of the Central government. The government was trying to suppress the rights of workers, which were achieved after several struggles. INTUC leader Mantri Rajasekhar alleged that the Centre was planning to privatise VSP. He said a single day strike could result in a loss of Rs.100 crore to the plant.
Production not hit: VSPThe one-day nation wide strike by trade unions has not affected RINL-VSP operations, with major production facilities running in safe moderated mode by the executives in the plant.
The top management, headed by CMD P. Madhusudan, is closely monitoring the situation arising out of the strike and has made alternative arrangements for smooth functioning of the critical units, with utmost priority to safety, according to an official release.
Peaceful atmosphere prevailed on the plant premises and security was beefed up as a precautionary measure to tackle any situation in and around the plant.
Around 80 per cent of non-executives and contract workers participated in the strike call given by the trade unions, and voluntarily abstained from duties, the release added.
Non-executives of the Dredging Corporation of India (DCI), affiliated to the DCI Non-Executive Employees Union (CITU), gathered outside the main gate of the DCI Head Office here and raised slogans denouncing the government for its anti-labour policies. Honorary president of the union V.S. Padmanabha Raju, general secretary N. Narasinga Rao and president P. Venkata Rao led the protest.
LIC employees of Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram and Srikakulam, owing allegiance to Insurance Corporation Employees’ Union (ICEU) participated in the strike and staged rallies and meetings at the branches across the Division. A meeting was organised at the LIC Divisional Office here in which ICEU general secretary N. Ramanachalam decried the policies of privatisation.
“The Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) did not participate in the strike in the interest of the nation and the workers as the government agreed to some of the demands and agreed to look into the others. The Centre had sought time for resolving issues pertaining to bonus and agreed to increase the minimum wages,” BMS leader Bhavani Shankarudu said.
A large number of workers gathered at the port main gate and raised slogans demanding withdrawal of the ‘privatisation plans’, provision of jobs to cargo pool workers and withdrawal of the new stevedoring policy.
