ALL trade unions to strike work on Tuesday

Special Correspondent, Hindu, 26-02-2012

New Delhi:  In an unprecedented show of unity, all trade unions in the country have come together on the same platform and given a call for a general strike on  February 28.

            This is the first time since Independence that trade unions, cutting across ideological and political affiliations, have joined hands to register their protest on a wide range of issues arising out of the liberalization policy.

            “The liberalization and new economic, policies unveiled since 1991 have undermined the interests of workers to such an extent that trade unions representing the Left, Right and Centrist parties have been forced to come together. Such unity was not witnessed even during or after Emergency.” All India Trade Union Congress General Secretary , Gurudas  Dasgupta told The Hindu.

Workers of all 11 recognized unions (to be recognized, a union has to have four lakh members) and 5000 un-affiliated unions will strike work, affecting banking, postal, port and government operations.

The unions have come together on a five-point  charter, which seeks strict enforcement of all basic labour laws without any exception or exemption and stringent punitive measures for violation; a universal social security cover for unorganized sector workers without any restriction and creation of a National Social Security Fund.

According to the G.Sanjeeva Reddy, and CITU general secretary Tapan Sen, things have come to such a pass in some States that even registration of new trade unions is not being allowed.