Stir in Visakhapatnam opposing steel plant sale

Visakhapatnam: Hundreds of workers took part in protests across Visakhapatnam on Monday as part of the two-day nation-wide strike called by trade unions opposing the Centre's move to privatise public sector undertakings, with the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant being the epicentre of the stir.

The protestors also gave a call for Vizag bandh on Monday, which drew a moderate response.

Workers, under the aegis of the Joint Action Committee, staged a demonstration outside the main gate of the VSP, raising slogans against the Centre's bid to go ahead with the strategic



disinvestment of the steel plant.

They decried the statements made by Union Ministers in Parliament on the steel plant issue and said they were grossly misleading.

They vowed to thwart the Centre's plans by all means and said their fight would continue till the end.

Trade unions AITUC, CITU and others staged a rasta-roko at Maddilapalem junction in Visakhapatnam, blocking traffic on the NH-16.

Police took the protesting trade unionists into custody and cleared the traffic.