Over 4.5 crore workers and employees across the state are expected to take part in the nation-wide trade unions’ strike called on September 2 by the Joint National Convention of Central Trade Unions a
Over 4.5 crore workers and employees across the state are expected to take part in the nation-wide trade unions’ strike called on September 2 by the Joint National Convention of Central Trade Unions and Industrial Federations comprising a united platform of 10 trade unions. The convention has called upon the country’s working class to observe a country-wide general strike over a 12-point charter of demands against the policies of the BJP-ruled NDA government. BJP ally Shiv Sena has extended support to the strike, but it will not participate in it.
Vishwas Utagi, convener of Trade Unions’ Joint Action Committee (TUJAC), told mediapersons, “More than 4.5 crore employees of banks, insurance companies, Port Trust of India, railways, telecom, power and coal mines and municipal and transport workers, naka workers, Asha wo-rkers from the health department, textile workers and government employees will participate in the day-long strike.”
He added that the Indian National Trade Union (INTUC), All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), Hind Majdur Sabha (HMS), and Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), along with the Sena’s Bhartiya Majdoor Sena (BMS), would also join the strike. However, Sena said the party will not actively participate in the strike. “We have extended moral support to the strike called by left-wing parties and trade unions against merging of nationalised banks into a single State Bank of India (SBI) and proposed changes in labour laws by the Union government. Sena has always stood with workers and labourers against injustice, but this is not an appropriate time to call a strike,” said Sena MP Gajanan Kirtikar.
