RSS affiliates criticise Centre's divestment plans

The BMS, which has always been a vehement critic of the NDA government, recently sorted out most of its issues with the government, including the labour problems.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Saffron outfits Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) and Swadeshi Jagaran Manch (SJM) are up in arms against the NDA government at the Centre on different issues, especially privatisation of PSUs. The BMS, which has always been a vehement critic of the NDA government, recently sorted out most of its issues with the government, including the labour problems. 

A recent meeting Union Home Minister Amit Shah had with the BMS national leadership as the head of the Group of Ministers in charge of Labour has resulted in settling most of the disputes, with the government side accepting the concerns put across by the BMS leadership.

However, now the BMS has criticised the government on the issue of privatisation of PSUs and the measures taken to off-load the shares of these PSUs to private players citing financial liquidity. The trade union body is conducting a national convention on November 15 in New Delhi in which leaders of BMS-affiliated unions of PSUs will participate.

We’re totally opposed to privatisation, says BMS

CK Saji Narayanan, BMS All India president, told TNIE: “We are totally against disinvestment and privatisation of the Public Sector Undertakings. We will oppose any government which is into privatisation of several profit-making PSUs. The convention to be held at New Delhi on November 15 will chalk out further steps to be taken on this.” 

BMS has its members working in several PSUs and the organisation cannot compromise on its avowed stand against privatisation of profit-making PSUs and hence it is planning a series of agitations against the government. The SJM is also against the government and it is primarily focussing its objection against the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). 

“We are conducting protests across the country against RCEP from October 10 to 20 and our activists will be conducting programmes in all districts of the country. They will be petitioning the Prime Minister through the district magistrates concerned.” 

“We are positive that government will listen to our demand and no further steps will be taken regarding RCEP,” Ashwani Mahajan, national co-convenor of Swadeshi Jagaran Manch told TNIE. The Kerala unit of SJM is also conducting programmes in all districts against RCEP with protest marches and petitions to collectorates.