The All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) has a track record of uniting all trade unions when it comes to fight on common issues and protection of the rights of workers. This has ensured its victory in the elections for the recognised union in Visakhapatnam Steel Plant(VSP), said AITUC leader J.V.S.N. Murthy
“The victory places a great responsibility on us for taking forward the movement for protection of VSP and against its ‘strategic sale’, he added. He recalled that when AITUC was the recognised trade union in VSP, it was on the verge of being referred to the Board for Industrial and Financial Reconstruction(BIFR), Telugu Desam Party(TDP) MPs M.V.V.S. Murthy and K. Yerrannaidu had supported us and convinced the Atal Behari Vajpayee government against the move.
Mr. Murthy, however, said that it was a tough task ahead as Prime Minister Narendra Modi was not the one to give up so easily. The other major task of the union was to get the new wage agreement, made with SAIL, implemented in the VSP.
Meanwhile, TDP Parliament district president Palla Srinivasa Rao described the recognised union elections as a victory of the displaced persons and the workers, who had been waging relentless struggles against privatisation of the VSP for the last 430 days. He demanded that the Centre revoke its decision on ‘strategic sale’ of VSP and the State government its dual stand on the issue.
TNTUC Visakhapatnam Parliament district president V. Ram Manohar Kumar and TNTUC State general secretary Koganti Lenin Babu were present.
The Visakha Steel Workers Union, affiliated to the AITUC, bagged 3,555 votes, followed by Visakha Steel Employees Congress(INTUC) with 3,096 and Steel Plant Employees Union(CITU) with 2,834 votes.
The Rashtriya Ispat Mazdoor Sangh, affiliated to the BMS, finished fourth with 104 votes.
