VSP Pensioners Protest Against Insurance Hike

Visakhapatnam: Retired employees of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, led by trade union leaders, staged a dharna in front of the corporate office in Steel Township on Thursday protesting against the hike in the health insurance premium.

Senior trade union leader Varasala Srinivasa Rao said the management hiked the premium from Rs 1300 per annum to Rs 20,000 while the retired employees have been drawing a pension as low as Rs 3,000.

He said specialist medical officers working in the Steel General Hospital have already opted for voluntary retirement, and some departments were on the verge of closure.

Expressing concern, Rao stated that the central government was not only harming the interests of the retired employees and permanent workers but also imposing many restrictions and making their lives difficult.

The retired employees, raising slogans against the central government, condemned the anti-labour policies and its proposal to privatise the plant.