RSS' Labour Wing To Protest Against Disinvestment

Annoyed over the BJP-led centre's proposed disinvestment of State-run firms, RSS-affiliated labour union Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) on Saturday said it will launch a phased agitation across the country spanning over eight months against the privatisation of public sector enterprises.

The decision was taken at a two-day meeting of the BMS Public Sector Undertakings Coordination Committee that was held in Hyderabad on February 25-26.

"The meeting reviewed the present scenario industry wise and a consensus has emerged that the BMS should strongly oppose the policies of the central government vis-a-vis disinvestment, privatisation and monetisation. It has been decided to conduct an agitational programme in phases," the Union said in a statement.

The BMS has unanimously resolved to oppose the disinvestment proposal of Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) in the name of strategic and non-strategic entities as also the government policy with regard to monetisation of the assets of the CPSEs, it said.

The BMS has planned an eight-month-long agitation starting from March 15 and concluding on November 23, which will include holding demonstrations from the corporate offices of the CPSEs to their respective units across the states.

The BMS criticised the "aggressive disinvestment programmes" announced by the centre in the Union Budget such as divesting two public sector banks and a general insurance company, and asking the Niti Aayog to list out new companies for disinvestment.