APCC chief stages a sit-in protest in support of contract workers

Visakhapatnam: AP PCC chief YS Sharmila has set a deadline for the state government to take back over 4, 000 contract workers who have been asked not to show for the duty at Visakhapatnam Steel Plant.

Staging a sit-in protest at Ukkunagaram here on Wednesday, the APCC chief made it clear that if the services of the contract workers are not being retained, she would go for a hunger strike.

It is unfair to stop the contract workers even as the state government claims that it's not for the privatisation of the VSP. "Salaries were not paid for the contract workers for the past four months. Moreover, there was no notice served to them before asking them not to show up at work," she pointed out.

During the Congress rule, the VSP was generating profits. However, the BJP destroyed the plant completely and converted it into a sick company, Sharmila criticised, adding that if need be even Rahul Gandhi will extend support to the Ukku stir.