Employees protest against Nalco selloff

The day to day works in public sector aluminium major Nalco’s refinery at Damanjodi in tribal dominated Koraput district, the smelter and captive power plant (CPP) at Angul as well as its corporate officer here came to a grinding halt on Saturday as the employees of the profit making PSU went for a 24 hour seize work agitation protesting the central government’s disinvestment plan.

Employees unions as well as officers’ association had joined the strike which was backed by a number of central trade unions like CITU and AITUC.

The Union Cabinet had recently decided to reduce the government’s stake in the blue chip company by 12.5 per cent which had triggered immediate protest in Odisha where the important PSU is located. Not only the employees of the company but Naveen Patnaik-led ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) too had been strongly opposing the move.

 The Centre’s assertion that the move is meant only for disinvestment purpose and not privatize the profit making PSU and the government would still hold majority stake in the company after disinvestment has not been able to convince the employees who feel that the process is aimed at ultimately hand over the company to private buyers.

The employees’ unions and trade unions have threatened to intensify their agitation in the coming days if the central government did not withdraw its disinvestment plan from the Nalco.