Functioning of industries was partially hit with the contract workers and non-executive employees owing allegiance to various trade unions abstaining from work in response to the call for nationwide general strike on Wednesday.
While the central trade unions gave the call for general strike to protest against what they said ‘anti-labour’ policies of the NDA Government at the Centre and the move to give away lands of RINL for a joint venture with POSCO.
The business went as usual in defence establishments. In Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP), the largest industry in the State, 80% of the contract workers and non-executives boycotted duty, according to officials. They said 98% of the executives reported to work. For the first time, the management asked the executives to report at 6 a.m. and stay till 6 p.m.
Civilian employees owing allegiance to NSTL Civlian Employees’ Union staged a dharna at NSTL main gate, according to the union general secretary Ch.V.S.N. Murthy. A rally was taken out at Gujuwaka by trade unions and political parties barring BJP in protest against the VSP joint venture with POSCO and delay in granting of captive mines. In separate statements, J. Ayodhyaram (CITU), Mantri Rajasekhar (INTUC) and D. Adinarayana (AITUC) said nearly 30,000 contract workers, project staff and non-executives of the VSP did not report for their duties.
At Visakhapatnam port, loading and unloading operations were normal. A port spokesman said only a few workers abstained from duty. Same was the situation at Gangavaram port. Several contract workers did not report to work at NTPC Simhadri Super Thermal Station, but power production remained unaffected. “All the permanent employees reported for work,” an official said.
In Hindustan Shipyard Limited and HPCL Visakh Refinery, the strike did not have any impact. Various units at Visakhapatnam SEZ at Duvvada, Brandix India Apparel City and AP Special Economic Zone functioned as usual.
