Posted on April 13, 2017
By Andhra Pradesh, The Hindu
Employees of Dredging Corporation of India (DCI) abstained from work on Tuesday in protest against Centre’s decision to go for strategic sale of equity in the public sector unit.
Functioning of its corporate office here was seriously affected as the non-executive employees went on a day-long strike in response to a call by CITU-affiliated DCI Non-executive Employees’ Union (NEU). The employees later staged a demonstration outside the Dredge House, the corporate office of DCI.
Addressing the agitating employees after the demonstration, CITU State president Ch. Narsinga Rao said there was a conspiracy to hand over profit-making DCI to private companies owned by Ambanis and Adanis at a throwaway price.
Stating that DCI was ranked among top 10 dredging companies in the world, he said it had been earning profits continuously serving all the major ports in the country.
He said there was no justification to offload 51% equity in the company.
Signature campaign
Mr. Rao complimented the employees for continuously spearheading their agitation to put pressure on the government to abandon the disinvestment plan.
NEU, he said, had already launched a signature campaign to drum up public support to stall the privatisation of DCI.
Once privatised, he said the employees would lose job security.
That would also cast its shadow on the decision to build a dredging harbour at Antarvedi in East Godavari district.
Source: The Hindu
