FACT workers strike work

By Our Staff Reporter

KOCHI, MAY 16. Workers and officers of all units of the Fertilisers and Chemicals Travancore Ltd (FACT) struck work for 24 hours on Tuesday, protesting against the Union Government's move for privatising the public sector unit.

The workers and officers under the Save FACT Action Committee, with their family members picketed the post offices at Udyogamandal and Ambalamedu. The strike had begun from Monday night.

Inaugurating the picketing at Udyogamandal, the CITU all India president, Mr. E. Balanandan, called upon the workers to launch a collective stir, cutting across political boundaries, to save the public sector unit, which had made considerable contributions to national development from the Nehruvian era.

He called for a second freedom struggle to resist the attempt being made by the multinational companies to grab the Indian market and topple the economy.

Mr. Balanandan stressed that this was not an issue confined to the interests of the FACT employees and their family alone, but to the wider interests of the State itself.

He pointed out that the fertiliser sector was a vital factor of the national economy, being one of the core industries, essential for the sustenance of the agricultural sector.

The Ernakulam DCC-(I) president, Mr. K. V. Thomas, MLA, Mr. K. Mohammedali, MLA, Eloor Panchayath president, Mr. P. S. Gangadharan, the CITU district secretary, Mr. K. Chandran Pillai, the INTUC State secretary, Mr. B. Sasidahran, the BMS district secretary, Mr. N. Sathyanarayanan, the NCOA leader, Mr. K. Mohanachandran, and trade union leaders of the FACT addressed the picketing, with Mr. C. Jayathilakan presiding over.

The picketing, which had begun at 9 a.m., continued till the participants were arrested and removed by the police by about 11- 30 a.m.

The picketing in front of the Ambalamedu Post Office was inaugurated by the former Finance Minister, Mr. V. Viswanatha Menon, with Mr. K. Babu, MLA, the CITU all India secretary, Mr. V. B. Cheriyan, the Ernakulam district panchayath vice-president, Mr. Babu Paul, the former Minister Mr. T. H. Musthafa, the AITUC district secretary, Mr. K. C. Mathew, and trade union leaders addressing the workers.

The picketing, which began at 9 a.m., continued till the police arrested the volunteers by about 1 p.m.

The Save FACT Action Committee will hold a convention of leaders of all political parties and trade unions, LDF and UDF leaders, Ministers and the Opposition Leader at the MKK Nair Memorial Hall at Udyogamandal on May 26. The convention would chalk out the future course of the action plan.

Meanwhile, Mr. P. Raju, MLA, in a statement pointed out that the bid to privatise FACT would result in handing over the farmers of India to the whims of private institutions.

The General Insurance Employees Union (South Zone), also demanded that the Union Government withdraw its steps for privatising FACT.

In a statement issued here, the union said no justification could be found for the move to sell 51 per cent of the shares of the FACT to the private sector, instead of seeking ways to save the company which had been making profits for many years.

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