Workers should not resort to strikes

West Bengal Labour minister Purnendu Bose today said that overuse of strike as a weapon had blunted it and urged workers not to resort to it. "Overuse of strike as a weapon has made it blunt. Considering the loss that it will bring to West Bengal's economy, I request workers to refrain from resorting to it," Bose told the Assembly here.

Replying to a question, Bose said that the number of mandays lost due to strikes was much less since the new government took over and stood at 9,592 from June 11, 2011 to February 28, 2013. During the same period, mandays lost due lock out in industries in the state stood at 5576578, he said. To another question raised by Leader of Opposition Surjya Kanta Mishra, he said that at present, only 11 industries were under lock out.