In a bold gesture, Congress PCC Chief YS Sharmila has demanded sternly from the administration of the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP) to reinstate 2,000 recently sacked contract workers immediately. She has issued a firm 24-hour ultimatum to the management of the plant, threatening that in case of non-compliance with her demands, she would resort to an indefinite fast from May 21.
Talking to the media, Sharmila stated, “The Congress party is demanding justice for the 2,000 contract workers who were unjustly terminated. If the management fails to act by tomorrow, I will go on a hunger strike right outside the steel plant.”
She sharply condemned the way VSP has dealt with the problem, labeling their actions as autocratic and insensitive to the sufferings of thousands of victim families. Sharmila pointed out that while the workers are organizing a strike from tomorrow, the management has not taken any initiative to hold talks or offer solutions.
Speaking out strongly against news of further layoffs in the works, she declared, “It’s callous to consider letting go of another 3,000 workers when so many families are already suffering. Disciplining workers for speaking out is not only wrong—it’s repressive.”
Sharmila’s message was unambiguously emotional—she is absolutely ready to give up her own health for the VSP workers’ livelihood. “This isn’t just a political struggle; it’s a struggle for dignity, survival, and justice,” she asserted.
Summing up her statement, she issued a final threat to the plant management: “Restore the contractual employees who were dismissed with immediate effect. Otherwise, I will commence an indefinite hunger strike from May 21. The Congress party stands shoulder-to-shoulder with every worker struggling to assert their rights.”