On 17th December 99, thousands of public sector workers demonstrated before the union industry ministry at Udyog Bhawan demanding reversal of the government policies on privatisation of PSUs, immediate steps to revive all sick PSU and payment of all unpaid wages to concerned PSU employees and withdrawal of the retrograde guidelines of Department of Public Enterprises(DPE) on wage revision of PSU employees. The demonstration of the PSU workers was addressed by K L Mahendra, general secretary, AITUC, M K Pandhe, general secretary CITU, Michael Fernandes, JAF, Bangalore, Y Adinarayana, PSU TU Coordination Committee, Hyderabad, Chittabrata Majumder, secretary, CITU, Subhasini Ali and Dipankar Mukherjee, MP. From the demonstration, a memorandum was also submitted to Industry Minister.

The meeting on 16th December deplored the government of India’s hell bent bid to put entire profit making public sector units in the country on sale at any cost and by any means and close down the sick public sector units. It expressed concern at the government desperate move to privatise the nationalised insurance sector, banks and the financial sector as a whole much to the detriment of the interest of the country. It denounced the inhuman attitude of the government at the centre towards non payment of salaries to thousands of workers of sick PSUs for months together and imposition of ban on their wage revision since 1992. The meeting also expressed anguish over the inordinate delay for about three years in the wage revision of the PSU employees and the retrograde guidelines of DPE virtually stalling the wage negotiation by imposing ten years tenure on wage settlement many other restrictive conditionalities. Further the desperate bid of the government to drastically change all labour legislation in favour of the employers and curtail all TU and labour rights have to be fought resolutely the meeting asserted.

After detailed discussion, CPSTU adopted the following action programmes:

• To prepare for Nationwide Indefinite Strike by the entire public sector workers.

• To observe One Day Warning Strike in all public sector units in the country (CPSTU core group would declare the date for the strike with a week).

• To go for a National Referendum among public sector workers on 11.1.2000 seeking support for long drawn Direct Action including strikes against 1. All forums of privatisation and disinvestment, 2. Non-revival and closure of sick PSUs, 3. Non-payment of wages in many PSUs, 4. Retrograde conditions of DPE on wage revision and 5. Attack on trade union rights & labour laws.

• Initiate consultation with central trade unions and other industrial federations for organising Joint National Convention against privatisation before /during the next budget session of parliament.