AITUC calls for combined action program against privatization of PSUs

A meeting of AITUC Affiliated Unions of Central Public Sector Enterprises and the friendly Federations functioning in CPSU’s was held on 6-9-2020 through Video Conference. The meeting was presided over by Com. Ramendra Kumar, President, AITUC. The meeting was also attended by Comrades H. Mahadeven, Working President, Amageet Kaur, General Secretary, AITUC. Sukumar Damle, Vidya Sagar Giri, National Secretaries,
T. Narasimhan, Co-Ordinator, PSU’s and C. Srikumar, Convener. CPSU’s other who attended included AIBEA C H Venkatachalam, T.M Murthy, C.J, Joshep, Lakhan Mehto, RDCP Rao, Krishan Modi, Rajesh Sandhu, Vindo Kumar Soni, P.S Parmar, Selvam R.K, Ramashray Pd Singh, V.S Bose, Mohan Sharma, Sambhusara, Utpal Sinha, Anurag, Baji Shaik,    ^

Presiding over the meeting Com. Ramendra Kumar welcomed the participants and informed about the importance of this meeting, since in the present regime at Delhi all the CPSU’s are under serious threat of privatisation. While sector wise agitations are going on, time has come for combined action programmes by all the CPSU’s. To discuss about such a Joint Action Programme in the coming days all the participants may place their views so as to decide the AITUC’s position in the Central Trade Unions meeting to be held on 9” of September 2020. He also stated that the AITUC centre should prepare the list of Affiliated Unions / Federations, and the friendly organisations functioning in CPSU’s alongwith the details of the President and General Secretaries of the respective Organisations.

Com. Amarjeet Kaur, General Secretary briefed about the ongoing attack against the PSU’s and the speed in which the Government is proceeding to handover all the National Assets to the private sector. She quoted the example of Airports, Air India, Railways, Defence, BPCL etc., She mentioned about the preparations going on in the Defence jointly by all the Federations for the Indefinite Strike against Corporatization of Ordnance Factories and privatisation of Defence Production. All the Central Trade Unions are fully supporting the decision of the Defence Employees Federations. Attempts are also made to discuss with the leadership with both the Railway Federations to explore the possibilities a serious Action Programme of Railway Employees against the privatisation and Corporatization. The Central Trade Unions have decided to hold a National Convention of the Unions / Federations of PSU’s on 28-9-2020. She appealed to the Comrades attending the meeting that they should inform about their respective sector and also should suggest about the proposed Joint Action Programmes which can be observed in the coming days.

Com. C. Srikumar, Convener informed that in a reply given under RTI Act,  the Department of Investment and Public Asset  Management  under  the  Ministry  of Finance have re¥ealed that the Government of India is pursuing strategic disinvestment in 26 DPSU’s which includes BEML, Air India, Salem Steel Plant, Bhadrawati Steel Plant, Durgapur Steel Plant, BPCL, Hindustan Newsprint Limited  and  ITDC  etc.,  Moreover the finance Minister on 16-5-2020 have announced that there will be only 4 PSU’s in the strategic sector and one PSU in the non-strategic sector. While sector wise agitations are going on against the Government policy of privatisation of CPSU’s, it is essential that Joint Action of all the PSU’s should be decided without any further delay. He then briefed about the Joint Agitations being observed in the Defence Industry especially the Ordnance Factories on 16-5-2020 the Finance Minister announced the Government decision of converting the 219 years old Ordnance Factories into a Corporation and then to privatise the same. The Ordnance Factories are having an asset of more than Rs. 1 lakh Crore and 62,000 Acres of land given by the State Governments and the Farmers. The 3 Federations of the Defence Civilian Employees have already served a notice for Indefinite Strike commencing from 12-10- 2020. However, the Government is proceeding with its decision and an empowered group of Ministers has been constituted under the Chairmanship of the Defence Minister to implement the process of Corporatization of 41 Ordnance Factories. The Federations have clearly told the Government in the 3 rounds of discussions that the Federations and the employees will not accept changing the status of the Ordnance Factories. He stated that all efforts may be taken by the Central Trade Unions to bring the Railway Federations also in the main stream of the movement to fight against the privatisation and Anti Labour Policies of the present Government.

Com. Narasimhan Co-Ordination insisted that there should be a proper Co-ordination between the Public Sector Unions at the AITUC centre so that future Action Programmes and other programmes can be implemented successfully. AITUC centre should have all the information’s about each of the CPSU’s.  He also emphasised the importance of organising the contract workers of the Central PSU’s and organising them through a Federation has become more important since their number is increasing day by day.

Com. H. Mahadevan, Working President shared his experience of Mobilising the PSU employees in the past. With special reference to the PSU employees movement held at Bengaluru. He expressed his dissatisfaction about the dilution of Trade Union activities in the CPSU’s. He also stressed about the mobilisation of Contract Workers in the PSU’s. He suggested that in the CPSU convention to be held on 28-9-2020 a series of campaigning programme against the attack on PSU’s should be decided culminating in a strike action to save the PSU’s.

Thereafter Comrades Mohan Sharma from Electricity Employees Federation, Com, Parmar from Hindustan Copper limited, Com. Joseph, Com. Lakhan Mehto, Com. Utpal Sinha, Com. Sambhu from Coal Sector, Com. C.H. Venkatachalam from Bank Sector, Com. Selvam RK from NLC, Com. T.M. Murthy Tamilnadu, Com. RDCP. Rao, and Rajesh Sandhu from NMDC and Chhattisgarh Com. VS Bose Telengana participated in the discussion. Com. Sukumar Damle and Com. Vidya Sagar Giri National Secretaries also placed their view points.

After discussions the following decisions were unanimously taken

1.    AITUC Centre would prepare the list of AITUC Affiliated and friendly CPSU Unions / Federations along with the details of the President and General Secretaries of the Unions / Federations. All the State Committees of AITUC should help the centre in consolidating this list. Therefore, state committees of AITUC may keep the centre informed about the CPSU Affiliated Unions, friendly Unions / Federations functioning in their state with the names and details of the President and General Secretaries of those Unions.

2.    Central Trade Unions should support and decide solidarity actions in support of the Indefinite Strike of the Defence Civilian Employees of Ordnance Factories commencing from 12-10-2020.
3.    Once again efforts may be taken to discuss with the leadership of the Railway Federations, so that the Railway Employees can join the main stream of the agitations to be decided in the coming days.

4.    So far as the convention of Public Sector Unions scheduled to be held on 28* September 2020, AITUC should insist for series of campaigning programmes against the attack on PSU and decisions may be taken to convert the save PSU movement into a Nationwide Public Movement. AITUC should also insist for a Joint Strike of all the PSU’s on a mutually acceptable date and month.

All the State Committees of AITUC and the CPSU Unions / Federations may take a note of the above decisions and inform their constituents about the above decisions and to continue campaigning programmes against the retrograde and Anti-Labour Policies of the BJP Government.