The All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) has urged the Jayalalithaa government to resolve the NLC divestment by calling for a general strike.
Since the Centre had turned down the request of Chief Minister Jayalalithaa to give up divestment move, her government should call for a general strike to protect the interests of the State as well as that of the NLC employees and contract workmen.
Ever since the Centre announced its intention to divest 5 per cent of NLC stakes, the issue of regularisation of contract workmen has been relegated to the background. District secretary of the AITUC M.Sekar told The Hindu that his union had not endorsed the “intimation letter” route. “If the Centre is keen on raising revenue of Rs 466 crore through 5 per cent stake sale, the day is not far off when it would increase the divestment percentage when it is in need of more revenue,” he said.
Progressive disinvestment would hasten the process of privatisation that would ultimately lead to indiscriminate exploitation of natural resources and over pricing of electricity.
Therefore, the State government must call for a general strike to forestall the divestment move and render justice to contract workmen who had been doing the work of regular employees without corresponding income, Mr. Sekar added.
