Dec 14 strike to cover IT in Bengal

Kolkata, Dec12: Taking a stand that contradicted Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee's investment policy, the CITU in West Bengal today announced to observe a 24-hour strike in the state's IT sector along with other areas on December 14 as part of the nationwide programme of the National Platform of Mass Organisations(NPMO).

CITU state President Shyamal Chakraborty said the organisation would strive to make the strike total, but no force would be used for its success.

Hospitals, water and electricity supply, media and medicine shops were among the seven listed essential services exempted from under the purview of the strike.

"We have not exempted IT from the strike, because it is not an essential service. In West Bengal it is only a utility service and not listed as one of the essential services," Mr Chakaraborty told reporters.

In reply to a question, the CITU President said whether services would remain uninterrupted in the state's IT industry on the day of the strike would depend on the employees and employers.

"We are not mentioning anything separately for any particular industry. The strike has been called everywhere, except in the essential service areas in support of a 16-point charter of demands.

The strike has been called by NPMO, a platform of 56 different organisations, including seven Central Trade Unions in protest against the 'anti-people' steps of the UPA Govgernment at the centre.

The CITU announcement came at a time when Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee-led Left Front Government was going whole hog for wooing investment in the state. The government had made all arrangements for security and transport to keep alive the state's flourishing IT hub in the Salt Lake sector five during the opposition- sponsored Bangla bandhs on October nine, December one and five.

Considered to be having a very high growth potential in the state, IT, the 24-hour service providing industry, is being treated as a utility service under a policy of the state government, which is reviewed after every six months.

The CITU leaders, however, today claimed that the strike in IT sector would not affect the flow of investment in the state.

Speculations made rounds whether the Government would take similar measures to ensure normal functioning in the IT sector on December 14 when CITU, a powerful frontal wing of the CPI(M) would take to the street to make the proposed bandh a success, especially after the Left parties propped up West Bengal Information Technology Employees Association(WBTES) on November 14.

The move left tizzy the IT companies, including TCS, Cognizant Technologies, Wipro, Siemens and IBM prompting them to hold a meeting among themselves to decide the course of action if strike was thrust on the sector.

The Chief Minister, however, asserted that the Government would initiate similar measures on December 14, the day when CITU, the powerful frontal wing of the CPI(M), would take to the street to make the proposed strike a success with support from all Left parties.

Leaders of the ruling Left Front, which had already pledged support to the strike, indicated few days ago that IT industry would not be left out of it.

The Trade Unions, going to observe the strike, had already served notice to employers in IT industry as well, they had pointed out.

The Left parties are also organising rallies in favour of the strike in front of all sub-divisonal offices in the state today and tomorrow.

UNI