Successful Strike Action by Workers in Public Sector Steel Plants - Press Release by AITUC June 30 2021

All India Trade Union Congress

Press Release

The following statement was issued to the press by Ms Amarjeet Kaur, General Secretary, AITUC today on 30th June 2021.

AITUC CONGRATULATES WORKERS OF STEEL INDUSTRY FOR SUCCESSFUL STRIKE ACTION

AITUC congratulates the workers from the steel industry for holding successful strike in the manufacturing/engineering as well as in mining areas to press upon for the wage-negotiations and against the government policy of disinvestment and privatisation of steel sector PSUs.

The strike call was given unitedly by the unions/federations active in the sector all over India. Vishakhapatnam steel plant workers who have been fighting against privatisation and sale of RINL for months now observed strike action on 29th June, where as the workers of all other steel plants and mines for raw material for these plants in Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Tamil Nadu went on strike today on 30th June.

The assertion of unions that the privatisation policy is not in the national interest and that the sector has been giving profits despite difficulties and it is of prime importance in the national development goals to enhance the capacities and efficiency of small & medium sector as well as to provide decent work and social security to the workforce on the demand side.

The workforce of Government departments and PSUs were continuously in work during Covid-19 first phase as well as in the second phase to respond to the needs and demands of the time. SAIL was the first among PSUs to provide for oxygen needs.

The unions on the one hand are impressing upon the Government to conclude the long pending wage negotiations and on the other side demanding to withdraw the policy to privatise this sector as it is against the national interest and would do great damage to the self-reliant economic goals.

Amarjeet Kaur,

General Secretary-AITUC