A dharna was staged by port employees, under the aegis of All party Trade Unions, at the Administrative Office Building (AOB) of Visakhapatnam Port Authority (VPA) here on Monday.
United Port and Dock Workers Union (CITU) honorary president V.S. Padmanabha Raju demanded that the Central government revoke its decision on privatisation of major ports. He sought implementation of wage revision without any pre-conditions and withdrawal of the National Monetisation Pipeline. He also opposed the privatisation of the Port Hospital, Port lands and buildings and Kalyana Mandapams.
The leaders of other unions demanded withdrawal of the Public Private Partnership proposal in PSUs. They alleged that the Centre has already handed over the Gangavaram Port to the Adani Group and measures were being taken to hand over berths in Visakhapatnam Port to the same group. They also alleged that the Centre was planning to privatise PSUs like Visakhaptnam Steel Plant (VSP), LIC, BSNL and Railways. They said that such measures would result in unemployment and sought that they should be withdrawn.
AITUC State leader J.V. Satyanarayana Murthy, AITUC general secretary B Ch Masen, HMS general secretary D.K. Sarma and CITU leaders B. Jagan, Ch. Trinadha Rao, B. Lakshmana Rao and Chandu were among those who participated.
