Nationwide strike to cripple India on Sep 7

New Delhi, Sep 7: India will be crippled by a nationwide trade union strike on Tuesday, Sep 7 as the country's trade unions have joined hands to protest against price rise, violation of labour laws, disinvestment of PSUs, job loss and contractualisation of jobs.

Government employees as well as many private sector workers are set to observe the one-day general strike in response to a call by eight major trade unions including Congress-affiliated INTUC.

"Nearly six crore workers will participate in the strike across the country. Those employed in private sector will also join the strike in many places," AITUC general secretary and CPI MP Gurudas Dasgupta informed a news agency in the national capital a day ahead of the strike on Monday, Sep 6.

The Coordination Committee of Central Trade Unions headed by INTUC president G Sanjeeva Reddy has called for the strike, which has found backing from AITUC, CITU, HMS, AIUTUC, TUCC, AICCTU, UTUC and federations of different categories of workers and employees, Dasgupta said.

Besides hitting the common man, the strike is set to affect economy as workers from sectors including coal, power, telecom, banks, insurance, defence, port and dock, road transport, petroleum and construction will be observing the strike.

If the government does not meet the trade unions' demands and expectations and the situation does not improve, then the strike will not be the last resort, Dasgupta said adding that they plan on marching to Parliament in Feb 2011.

The five-point charter of demands of the unions include immediate and effective steps to check price rise and to universalize and strengthen the public distribution system (PDS); and halting sale of Central PSUs' shares.

OneIndia News