New Delhi: Expressing "strong protest and utter annoyance" at the Cabinet's approval for the disinvestment of five PSUs, central trade unions on Thursday urged the government to reverse the decision. The joint statement issued by a bunch of 10 trade unions comes a day after the Cabinet gave its nod to the disinvestment of five PSUs — Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL), Shipping Corporation of India; Container Corporation of India, Tehri Hydro Power Development Corporation (THDCIL), and North Eastern Electric Power Corporation Ltd (NEEPCO). The list of 10 central trade unions includes INTUC, AITUC, HMS, CITU, AIUTUC, TUCC, SEWA, AICCTU, LPF and UTUC.
After the disinvestment of the first batch of five PSUs, the government is going to take up another six PSUs, the central trade unions, representing employees across the PSU sector, have alleged in a joint statement. "Apart from the above CPSUs, the other targets of privatisation onslaught are, reportedly, Indian Oil (government stake is at 51.5 percent), NTPC (54.50 percent), Bharat Electronics (58.83 percent), BEML (54.03 percent), Engineers India (52 percent), GAIL (52.66 percent) and National Aluminium Company (52 percent)," the statement said.
"The Central trade unions appeal to all PSU workers irrespective of affiliation to organise protest action against the above mentioned shocking decision of the government. Given the aggressive desperation of the government to eliminate public sector from the economic map of India, it is felt that the need of the hour is to urgently activate the united platform of CPSU workers to chalk out appropriate nationwide long-drawn struggles," the statement said.
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