Union leaders condemn high handed behaviour of police

Visakhapatnam: Visakhapatnam Steel Plant CITU honorary president J Ayodhya Ramu condemned attitude of the police for denying permission to organise a protest under the aegis of Visakha Ukku Parirakshana Porata Committee (VUPPC) and taking over the entire hunger strike camp under their control.

Opposing the attitude of the city police here on Monday, the trade union leaders and employees continued their protest by sitting on the ground.

Speaking on the occasion, Ayodhya Ramu warned that it was inappropriate to try to suppress the peaceful protests with the support of the police.

He demanded that the pending salaries to the tune of Rs 300 crore of the workers should be paid immediately and full salaries should be paid on the first of every month.

Union general secretary U Rama Swamy stated that while terminating the workers, the management and NDA government were spreading misinformation that there were more workers than required in the plant.

The trade union leaders demanded that the removed workers should be reinstated with immediate effect. Chairman of the VUPPC D Adinarayana made it clear that as trade union they have long history in fighting for the rights of the people and workers. He warned that this is not appropriate for the government to seize the relay hunger strike camp this way.

INTUC president Ramana Murthy demanded that the pending salaries of the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant workers should be paid.

78th ward corporator Dr B Ganga Rao pointed out that the government has not withdrawn the decision to sell the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant and he explained that there is a conspiracy to reduce the number of workers, reduce the debts of the plant before handing it over to a private company.

Protest programmes were held in all district centres across the state as per the call given by the VUPPC, demanding that the problems of the steel plant workers should be resolved at the earliest and the illegally removed contract workers be reinstated. Contract Labour Union general secretary Nammi Ramana, CITU district president K M Srinivas, CITU president Y T Das, Steel CITU leader T V Krishnam Raju spoke onthe occasion.