THOOTHUKUDI: The Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) staged a stir on Friday at Chidambaranagar, urging the state government to reopen the Sterlite Copper plant in Thoothukudi, citing that Chief Minister MK Stalin and MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi were striving to bring in more industries to increase employment opportunities here.
Over 500 persons led by INTUC Working president Kathirvel participated in the agitation at Chidambaranagar demanding employment generation and reopening of the defunct Sterlite Copper plant. They raised placards demanding to enactment special legislation to reopen the unit, which was closed down as per Supreme Court orders.
Kathirvel, who is also the general secretary of the National Harbour Workers' Union and a trustee of the VOC port trust, said closing down several industries including Sterlite Copper, has affected employment opportunities and the socio-economic transformation of the people in Thoothukudi. Closing such industries sends a wrong signal to investors and damages the existing industrial climate, he said.
"Closing down spinning mills, textile mills, ginning factories, thermal power plants, warehouses, and small scale industries in the past decade have resulted in significant employment loss to both skilled and unskilled workers. The automation of VOC port had replaced the role of 7,000 manual labourers, while the shrinking salt pan areas considerably affected opportunities for women," he alleged.
He highlighted MP Kanimozhi's speech in parliament urging the union government to establish semiconductor manufacturing units in Thoothukudi, and that it will potentially improve regional economic recovery.
He said, "The permanent shutdown of the copper smelter had affected 3,000 trucks transporting raw material and the employed 4,000 daily wage labourers. The unit was generating Rs 5,000 crore annually to the union and state government, and met 40% of the copper supply for the country. However, closing down of the smelter will lead the country to become a net importer of copper after 18 years," he said.
Stating that Chief Minister MK Stalin is actively working on decentralisation of industrial developments across the state, while the parliamentarian appealed for new industries to Thoothukudi, he urged the state to consider reopening the copper plant.