BMS to oppose Modi government on PSU privatisation.

By Pragya Kaushika
New Delhi (India), Oct 13 (ANI): Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) affiliate Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), the trade organisation, is up in arms against Prime Minister Narendra Modi led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government for its policy on Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) allegedly leading to 'privatization'.
With BMS deciding to oppose the policies of the government, it has invited employees unions of all PSUs on November 15 in the national capital to deliberate on the future course of action against the government.
The move assumes significance as the Bharatiya Janata Party chief and Home Minister Amit Shah and Railways Minister Piyush Goyal had recently visited BMS headquarters in Delhi.
Sources stated that there have been attempts by the BJP to win over the BMS on the several issues. One such issue is to contain unrest among those PSU units that were shut down due to their "economic unviability".
However, functionaries of BMS maintained that it was a customary meet as Shah come over 'for a cup of tea' with employees.
"Otherwise it is we who keep visiting him," said the source.
Speaking to ANI, Virjesh Upadhyay, general secretary, BMS said that there is need to put stop to the bad policy decisions taken during former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's time and are "still followed by the incumbent government", like disinvestment and privatization of PSUs.
"To hear the unions and to prepare an action plan against the move. We are mobilising the labourers of PSUs as these are the backbone of the economy and PSUs are model of a decent employment opportunity with decent wages," added the BMS functionary.
He told that the BMS is planning to mobilise markets associations and allied industry unions as well.
"We all are interdependent. Employees of PSUs to contribute to the economy and they too are purchasers. If their power to buy goes down, there are many in the market who would be impacted. Total of 7 per cent of our economy is organised sector and out of this 87 per cent employees are on contract or outsourced, " said Upadhyay while mentioning that BMS already had reached out to markets as trade unions are not limited to factories and a huge workforce should be counted in.
"We demand that the government should reconsider privatising PSUs as it's a bad policy started by late Indira Gandhi and is against people," he said.
Upadhyay claims that unions of PSUs from seven sectors would be coming for November 15 meet. (ANI)