BMS to intensify stir against govt PSU policies, nationwide strike on Jan 3

New Delhi: At a national convention on Thursday, RSS-affiliate Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) has decided to intensify the struggle against the BJP government's PSU policies and hold a nationwide protest on January 3. BMS said that it is hoping to mobilise around 1,50,000 to 2,00,000 people across 600 districts in the country to oppose the government's "lopsided" PSU policies. "This would be followed up by a more concrete action plan at the BMS national executive meeting in February after taking into account the outcomes of the Union Budget," said Vrijesh Upadhyay, BMS general secretary.

'BMS agitation has no political agenda, only national interest at heart'

While noting that trade unions affiliated to other parties may have a political cause to further, Girish Arya, deputy in-charge, Public Sector Employees National Confederation, an industrial unit of BMS, said, "We do not have any political agenda in going against the government, as is very clear. We are only driven by national interest. So, we are going to take this movement forward in that spirit. We also had a pre-Budget consultation with the Finance Minister where we have put forward our concerns. And depending on what the government offers in the Budget, we will chalk out our future plan of action."

'Govt needs to rethink its PSU policies'

A statement released at the convention said, "Previously, the government wanted to sell loss-making units, but found that no sensible parties are ready to buy loss-making units. So, now the new policy is to sell hot selling profit-making PSUs. It is not good economics. Hence, the government has to rethink seriously about the crisis in revenue management." The convention demanded that the government initiate wage negotiations, clear salary, wages and retirement benefits, revive and iversify sick PSUs & revision of pension for retired BSNL, MTNL employees etc. as per CPC.

'Pro-privatisation lobby painting an incorrect picture of PSUs'

"Unfortunately, the pro-privatisation lobby has painted all the PSUs as inefficient. It is also making false propaganda that the entire PSU sector is in loss, which is utterly false. PSUs performed well. In 2017-18, the overall profit of CPSUs was Rs 1,28,374 crore, and they paid Rs 76,578 crore as dividend," the statement said. The convention was attended by 900 employees drawn from PSUs across India.

The Public Sector Coordination Committee of BMS comprises BMS unions of sectors like banking, insurance, coal, non-coal, steel, port, dock, and shipyard, railway, defence, postal, and PSENC (Public Sector Employees National Confederation) which comprises of telecom, oil sectors, aviation, coins and currency, FCI, NHPC, PowerGrid, GAIL, BHEL, NALCO, NLC, HAL, HMT, BEL, ITI, BDL, ALIMCO, BALMER LAWRIE, HNL, FACT, IREL, ECIL, NEEPCO, THDC, Instrumentation, BSNL/MTNL and other PSUs.

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