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Trade unions oppose RINL pact with pvt steel giant
Visakhapatnam Steel Plant in Visakhapatnam
- Say efforts are on to hand over blast furnace (BF)-III to another private steel firm
- VUPPC convener Ayodhya Ramu allege that CMD of RINL in Delhi and two directors have discussed the deal in a video conference
- Trade union leaders are planning to meet national leaders of all parties in in Delhi on Dec 20 to exert pressure on the Centre to withdraw the strategic sale
Visakhapatnam: The ‘proposed’ handing over of blast furnace (BF)-III of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP) to another private steel giant is being strongly opposed by a section of employees and trade union leaders.
According to VSP union leaders, the management of Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL) is said to be busy signing MoUs related to the same for the past few days.
Visakha Ukku Parirakshana Porata Committee (VUPPC) convener J Ayodhya Ramu said CMD of RINL in Delhi, one of the directors in Bengaluru, another director in Nainital and one more director from Visakhapatnam have already discussed the deal through video conferencing. “It is a deliberate move of the Union government and RINL management to weaken the VSP financially so that it can be handed over to a private player without any glitch,” he opined.
For the past two years, BF-III remained closed as there was an inadequate supply of raw material. Owing to which, the VSP is slipping into further losses. In order to overcome them, the RINL called for expression of interest to resume operation of BF-III.
A private finance company has come forward to invest Rs.800 crore to meet raw material requirements of the furnace. However, the funds have been diverted for other purpose, the trade union leaders claimed.
The fight waged by the trade union leaders for over 1,000 days focused on mounting pressure on the Centre to withdraw strategic sale of the RINL or considering steps to merge the RINL with SAIL so that it could be saved from losses incurred.
“Instead of looking into our demands, the RINL management is going ahead with an agreement with a corporate steel major in a discreet manner. The unit-wise handing over of the plant is as good as privatisatising it partly and we will not allow that to happen,” said Varasala Srinivasa Rao, VUPPC member.
On December 20, the trade union leaders are planning to meet national party leaders in Delhi and exert pressure on the Centre to withdraw the strategic sale. Another step the trade union leaders are considering is meeting Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy by taking up a bus yatra from Visakhapatnam.
Opposing the management’s move, a protest was carried out by the trade union leaders at VSP on Monday.
