Employees demand quashing of PSUs disinvestment plans

New Delhi, Nov 25 (UNI) Hundreds of Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) employees from across the country today assembled at Jantar Mantar here under the banner of Public Sector Employees National Cofederation (PSENC), an industrial unit of Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), demanding scrapping of disinvestment and selling out plans of PSUs besides immediate revision of the wages of its employees.

PSENC also demanded revival of the sick PSUs like HMT and NEPA. The protestors submitted a charter of demands to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, urging him to give respite to the thousands of PSU employees.

Addressing PSU workers, BJP MP Rudra Narayan Pany criticised the Centre's plans to sell out and disinvest in PSUs and said the Government's policies are not aimed at reducing inequality.

He said around 77 per cent people in the country were living on less than Rs 20 per day and the disinvestment policy will only add to the already high percentage.

It was the Government's duty to reduce such a huge inequality, he underlined.

Pointing towards the Rs four lakh crore bailout package given to the private sector, PSENC President Virjesh told UNI, ''The government is giving Bailout to Private Sector and Sellout to Public Sector.'' ''We cannot figure out the logic for this decision as most PSUs are earning huge profits and have been filling Government's coffers for a very long period,'' he added.

Explaining the disadvantages of disinvestment and selling out of PSUs which would increase exploitation of the employees, concentration of finances in the hands of a few people, Mr Upadhyay opined, ''It is also very critical from the national security point of view as it can provide access to significant information about country's defence plans to the private players.''

Criticising the Government's indifference towards the PSU employees, Mr Upadhyay lamented that despite announcement of Sixth Pay Commission almost a year ago, the employees had not received the revised salary as yet.

''All the Central Government employees have even recieved second installment of their arrears but nothing has been done for the PSU employess,'' he said.

Coal Mine Workers Federation president Surender Kumar Pandey said the disinvestment policy was against the aims of PSUs as outlined by late Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru who said PSUs were the real temples of the country as they would provide employment to the people.