RSS-affiliated BMS to hold nationwide protests against PSU privatisation on Oct 28

• BMS' All India Secretary Girish Arya said that public sector unions affiliated to the BMS will send a memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in support of its demands
• The BMS is seeking a stop to the strategic disinvestment, privatisation, asset monetisation, corporatisation and strategic sale of PSUs, especially BPCL

New Delhi: The Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), an affiliate of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), is set to hold nationwide protests on October 28 to demand a stop to the Centre's policies of "disinvestment, privatisation, monetisation, corporatisation and strategic sale of public sector." Speaking to PSU Watch, BMS' All India Secretary of its Public Sector Coordination Committee, Girish Arya, said that public sector unions affiliated to the BMS will send a memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in support of its demands.

"Under the banner of Public Sector Coordination Committee of BMS, a nationwide "Demonstration" is to be held on 28.10.2021 against the Government Policy of disinvestment, privatisation, monetisation and corporatisation of Public Sector Undertakings. In this regard, a massive demonstration will be conducted by Public Sectors unions on 28.10.2021 at Scope Building, Near MTNL Building, CGO Complex, Lodhi Road, New Delhi-110003," said a statement released by the BMS on Wednesday.

BMS seeks roll back of privatisation, asset monetisation policy

The BMS is seeking a stop to the strategic disinvestment, privatisation, asset monetisation, corporatisation and strategic sale of PSUs, especially Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL). It has also demanded that the government should not raise the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) limit any further and stop merger of banks and the commercialisation of coal sector. In addition, the RSS-affiliate has also demanded a stoppage to anti-worker changes in IR codes and that the revival package for BSNL and MTNL be implemented fully. 

The BMS has said that it will wait for the government to take action on their demands until the Budget Session and if the government doesn't yield to their demands, they will decide the future course of action against the Centre.

Backdrop

The protest comes just days after the Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM) signed a share purchase agreement (SPA) with Tata Sons for the sale of Air India. The government has announced an ambitious PSU disinvestment/privatisation and asset monetisation policy under which it plans to retain a bare minimum number of PSUs in strategic sectors — atomic energy, space and defence, transport and telecommunications, power, petroleum, coal and other minerals, banking, insurance and financial services. The rest of the PSUs will either be merged, closed or privatised.

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