The strike by employees of the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP) continued for the second consecutive day in Delhi on Tuesday.
YSR Congress Parliamentary Party Leader V. Vijaya Sai Reddy and party MPs extended support to the agitating steel workers. Mr. Reddy advised the steel workers and trade unions to continue their agitation for a year so that the government would be forced to withdraw its decision on privatisation of the VSP. No government would dare to take such a step ahead of the next general elections, he said.
He called for united struggles by all parties to continue the agitation for a year. He also advised the unions to approach the court, if necessary, and get a stay on the execution of the decision. There were several loopholes in the decision to privatise VSP and the elders in the government were aware of it. Efforts could, therefore, be made to get a stay on the decision, he said. He said that Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy was keen on safeguarding the rights of the workers.
Meanwhile, the All Trade Unions, People’s Organisations JAC leaders burnt an effigy of the Prime Minister on the Main Road, opposite the Gandhi statue, in protest against the adamant attitude of the Centre. JAC Chairman M. Jaggu Naidu, vice chairman Padala Ramana, CITU city president RKSV Kumar, Public Sector Coordination Committee convener S. Jyothiswara Rao, AITUC leaders G. Vamana Murthy and CITU city leaders M. Subba Rao, Y. Raju and KVP Chandramouli were among those who participated.