Telugu Desam Party (TDP) Visakhapatnam Parliamentary district president Palla Srinivasa Rao has said that a decision was taken to strengthen the Telugu Nadu Trade Union Council (TNTUC) to fight against the policies of the Union and the State governments, which are supporting privatisation.
Addressing the media here on Wednesday, Mr. Srinivasa Rao said that the TNTUC already had considerable presence in public sector units (PSUs) like the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP) and the Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL) and it would be strengthened further to work for the welfare of workers and against the ‘anti-worker’ policies of the BJP and the YSR Congress Party governments.
He alleged that the YSRCP government was following a dual policy on privatisation. While it was opposing privatisation of the VSP, it was keen on selling the State government’s stake in the Gangavaram Port, he said. He said that the TDP was not against industries and wanted them to flourish but at the same time the interests of the workers should be protected. He said that the TDP would go to court against the proposal of the State government to sell its stake in the Gangavaram Port.
Deploring the privatisation plans of the Union government, the TDP leader said privatisation would lead to loss of jobs as was seen in the sale of the Hindustan Zinc Limited (HZL) unit in Visakhapatnam to the Vedanta group. The private investor had closed down the unit after running it for some months.
Condemning the statements of BJP MP G.V.L. Narasimha Rao that barring the Communist-affiliated unions in the VSP, all other trade unions were not opposed to the privatisation of the steel plant, the TDP leader said that he should stop making such statements without verifying the facts. Mr. Srinivasa Rao said that the BJP leaders should make the private buyer to reopen HZL, to prove their statements that privatisation would not lead to loss of jobs.
Mr. Srinivasa Rao alleged that the YSRCP government was looking down upon Hindus ever since it came to power. The attacks on temples have increased and now the government has declined to permit the holding of Vinayaka Chaviti in open places. He demanded that the government permit celebrating the festival in open places.
