CITU slams Centre’s policies to privatise VSP

The Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) has alleged that the government is giving priority to removing employees rather than increasing the production of the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP).

Speaking to reporters on Monday, CITU state general secretary Ch. Narasing Rao and Visakhapatnam district general secretary RKSV Kumar alleged that the Centre had made up its mind to privatise the plant in 2021, but the relentless agitations of the workers successfully thwarted such attempts. They alleged that the Centre is now trying to weaken the plant and hand it over to private parties.

Mr Narsing Rao said the policies of the Cetnre aimed at weakening the VSP had resulted in losses to a tune of ₹5,000 crore last year. They ridiculed the claims of Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu that he succeeded in getting a special package for the plant. Mr. Narsing Rao said that the VSP stood top in exports to foreign countries till 2021 and used to earn profits. However, exports to foreign countries have stopped after 2021 due to the policies of the Central government.

“The Central government has deliberately damaged the financial resources of the plant. Salaries, HRA, bonuses, incentives, and loans that were supposed to go up by way of wage revisions have been completely stopped from being paid to the workers for the last five years,” Mr. Narsing Rao said. The permanent workers, officers, and contract workers are forced to work on half salaries, he alleged.

Despite all difficulties, the workers are working hard to save VSP. We demand that these wrong practices be stopped and labour rights be implemented, he said.