Trade unions have threatened to continue with their street protests if the Centre fails to heed their demands following the nationwide strike call on September 7.
“If the government does not bring changes in its policies, the movement will be further intensified. We are considering calling for a massive workers’ march to Parliament in February 2011,” a joint statement of eight central trade unions said.
This is the first time the Congress-affiliated INTUC will join hands with the Left and other trade unions for a country-wide agitation. The unions have called the strike against price rise, violation of labour laws and disinvestment of PSUs, among other issues.
While the Left-backed unions have desperately tried to retain this fragile unity, Congress managers too tried their best to pull out the INTUC from this strike. According to sources, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee tried to meet INTUC chief president and Congress MP G Sanjeeva Reddy to stop his outfit from joining the strike. But Reddy declined to meet Mukherjee.
“Nearly six crore workers from coal, power, banks, insurance, telecommunication, insurance, port and dock, road transport, petroleum, defense and construction sectors will join the strike,” said Reddy. The Railways, however, have been excluded from participating in it.