Trade Unions call for strike on May 20 over RINL, labour codes

Central trade unions call for nationwide strike on May 20 against labour codes, privatisation of RINL-Visakhapatnam Steel Plant.

Central trade unions have called for a nationwide strike on May 20 to protest against the four labour codes and the privatisation of RINL-Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, by the NDA government.

During a workshop with leaders and members of the trade unions on Sunday, CITU state general secretary Ch. Narsinga Rao urged the people to support the strike. He criticised the NDA government for distributing the country’s assets to corporations like Adani and Ambani and making anti-labour decisions.

He highlighted the current situation at the RINL-Visakhapatnam Steel Plant and said that the management laid off more than 3,000 contract workers in the recent past, after a review by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu. He argued that instead of protecting public assets through proper allocation of funds and benefits like captive mines, the Centre’s actions indicated a vested interest in corporate companies.

“People are struggling with rising prices of essential commodities and the decisions and policies of the BJP-led NDA government,” he said.

CITU Secretariat members from North Coastal Andhra Pradesh also participated in the meeting.