Public Sector Employees Producing Oxygen On War Footing

There is a hue and cry throughout the country about the shortage of Medical Oxygen. People are dying due to shortage of oxygen cylinders. On the one side blame game is going on about who is responsible for this alarming situation. But the public sector employees are silently working throughout the country for producing the Medical Oxygen required for saving the life of the COVID-19 patients.

In the Vishakapatnam Steel Plant which the Government has recently decided to sell out, the employees of this PSU is working day and night and supplying Medical Oxygen.Similarly the public sector steel plants in Bhilai Durgapur and other public sector industries in the Petroleum sector etc., are fully engaged in manufacturing the
required oxygen . In SAIL Bokaro round the clock 25 officers and 145 workers are involved in oxygen manufacturing. Media reports says that the tiffin boxes are lying behind the employees and even at 4 pm they have not taken lunch. When asked these employees told that they will complete their work and then go for lunch since patients are waiting for oxygen.

This is the commitment and devotion of the employees of the public sector and their Trade Unions. Government says that doing business is not the business of the Government. Now no business concern has come to the rescue of the nation when the country is struggling without oxygen. It is the public sector and the
Government sector employees who are in the forefront during this pandemic . They risk their life and are selflessly working for the nation and the people of the ountry.

The critics who always abuses that the Government Sector and public sector are inefficient are not visible anywhere during this crisis. The Government and the anti-Government sector and public sector should understand and realise that whenever the country is in crisis, both during peace time and where time only the Government sector employees and the public sector employees standup like rock for meeting the country’s requirement. Governments favourite private corporates are only worried about how to take advantage of the pandemic and earn profit even at the cost of the life of the people of this country.

I hope the Government now atleast should realise the importance of the Government sector and public sector and instead of selling these units to the private corporates should strengthen and develop the Government sector and the public sector. Country cannot go and beg to the corporates when nation is in need in a isaster period like this. Let the advisors of the Prime Minister understand this and change their attitude towards the Government sector and Public Sector.

Views expressed are those of C. Srikumar, Convener of Public Sector Unions of AITUC