All Trade Unions of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant(VSP) would collectively agitate on October 12 and 13 for 48 hours initially against the proposed disinvestment plan of the Central Government.They would also organise a bandh in Gajuwaka township area of the steel city . All the trade unions of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP) also served a notice on the management to go on strike on October 12 and 13 in protest against the decision to go ahead with disinvestment of Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited. The notice was served under sub-section (1) of Section 22 of Industrial Dispute Act, 1947. RINL, the holding company of VSP, is likely to go for an IPO on October 16. Signed by all the union representatives, the notice copy was addressed to RINL Chairman-cum-Managing Director A P Choudhary. INTUC is also a signatory to the notice. This is for the first time that the unions have called for a 48-hour strike in protest against, what they termed, attempts to hand over RINL to private hands. The VSP trade unions make a representation to the Ministers APCC president Botcha Satyanarayana and Minister for Infrastructure and Investment G. Srinivasa Rao promised to take up the demand to drop disinvestment of RINL at the highest level. A delegation of representatives from all the trade unions of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant met them at the Circuit House. The leaders submitted representations to them bringing to their notice the decision of the Centre to go ahead with 10 per cent disinvestment of government’s equity in RINL, the corporate entity of VSP. Mr. Satyanarayana said he would write letters to all concerned to drop disinvestment plan as VSP was being held as the ‘pride of Andhra Pradesh.’ Mr Srinivasa Rao said he would speak to Chief Minister about the sentiments of VSP employees. Rs.2,500 IPO of RINL is expected to hit the corporate market on October 16 with the merchant bankers finalising the valuation of VSP and other assets of RINL, a navratna company. Later in a representation to Union Minister of State for HRD D. Purandeswari and Joint Collector Praveen Kumar, the trade union representatives sought their intervention to stop disinvestment. They told the Minister that VSP was a symbol of pride for the people of Andhra Pradesh. Most of the leaders whom the all-union delegation met agreed to their demand to drop the Rs.2, 500-IPO which was being pursued by the Department of Disinvestment. ‘It was set up after Visakha Ukku Andhrula Hakku agitation. Hence, the plan for disinvestment should be dropped,’ the leaders told the Minister, Purandeswari, who promised them that she would convey their sentiments to the government. The delegation consisted of D. Adinarayana (AITUC), N. Rama Rao (CITU), Mantri Rajasekhar, Gandham Venkata Rao (Steel INTUC), Varasala Srinivasa Rao (Janshakti Mazdoor Sabha), Rammohan Kumar, Pydiraju (TNTUC), G.R.K. Raju (Visakha Steel Employees’ Union), Polayya (HMS) and T. Jagadish (VSMS). ‘It’s the pride of Andhra Pradesh and under no circumstances it should be allowed to go to private hands,’ Mr. Adinarayana said. The union leaders said diluting 10 per cent of equity was only a beginning and it would subsequently lead to handing over VSP on a golden platter to private parties.
UNI