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The two-day strike has been called by all the trade unions together against UPA government’s economic policies leading to price rise, disinvestment and contract labour, among others.
Prime minister Manmohan Singh, in the evening yesterday, had asked senior cabinet colleagues A K Antony, Sharad Pawar, P Chidambaram and Mallikarjun Kharge to together hold discussions with the leaders of the trade unions.
All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) secretary D L Sachdev told Business Standard that although the government had called the trade unions late for deliberations, they had decided to listen to the ministers.
“We will listen to them and then decide. Only one day is left in between. They have called so late but once they have called, we decided to go and listen to them,” said Sachdev.
It is for the first time that all the trade unions have come together for a two-day all-India strike.
The strike has been called jointly by AITUC, Bhartiya Majdoor Sangh (BMS), Indian National Trade union Congress (INTUC), Hind Mazdoor Sabha (HMS), Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), All India United Trade Union Centre (AIUTUC) and other such bodies.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Sunday evening appealed to the central trade unions to withdraw their call for the countrywide general Strike on Wednesday and Thursday.
“Such a strike would lead to avoidable loss to our economy and inconvenience to the public through disruption of services,” he said.
Singh stressed that while some of the issues raised by the trade unions were already being acted upon and others were at various stages of consideration, he had requested senior cabinet colleagues Antony, Pawar, Chidambaram and Kharge to together hold discussions with the leaders of the trade unions.
The Prime Minister expressed confidence that the discussions would result in a course of action that was acceptable both to the trade unions and the government.
