APCC Chief Y.S. Sharmila Reddy on Wednesday (October 2, 2024) issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu to give an in written assurance that the 4,000 contract workers removed by the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP) management are taken back into service. She threatened to go on a hunger strike from 1 p.m. of October 4, if Mr Naidu does not give an assurance to this effect.
Ms. Sharmila said Congress leader Rahul Gandhi would also join the agitation against the government plans to privatise the plant and to protect the interests of the workers.
Ms. Sharmila participated in the Maha Dharna held at the Gandhi Statue near the GVMC office on Wednesday in the city and later visited the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP) to express solidarity to the workers who were protesting the VSP management decision to remove 4,000 contract workers. Speaking on the occasion, the APCC chief demanded Mr Naidu, to visit the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP) and give an assurance to the agitating workers that the plant would not be privatised. She also wanted Mr Naidu to ensure job security of the contract workers.
“It is deplorable that the VSP management has removed the 4,000-odd contract workers without serving any notice. Apart from this, 14,000 contract workers were not paid salaries for the past four to five months. We demand the reinstatement of the removed contract workers and regularisation of the 14,000 contract employees working in the Plant,’’ she demanded.
Ms Sharmila said VSP is the pride of Andhra Pradesh and it was the Congress alone which had worked for the interest of the plant. “The TDP government in the past and now and also the previous YSRCP government had done nothing to create confidence among the workers on their job security and to protect the interests of the plant,’’ she alleged.
Ms Sharmila alleged that the two parties have eyed the lands belonging to the VSP and that was why they are favouring the privatisation of the plant. “If Mr Naidu is unable to protect the plant, why is he supporting the NDA at the Centre. Jana Sena Party (JSP) chief Pawan Kalyan should also respond and spell his stand on the issue,’’ Ms. Sharmila said.
The APCC chief demanded Naidu to visit the VSP, assure employees of their job security, an announcement from the Centre that the VSP will be merged with SAIL or atleast given a bail out package. “Otherwise, we will intensify our agitations. We will lay siege to the Admin block and also take up protests at the national level,’’ she said and issued the 48-hour ultimatum.
Earlier, she offers tributes to Mahatma Gandhi at the Gandhi Statue near GVMC office in the city.
Published - October 02, 2024 02:49 pm IST
