Industries, banks and several other commercial establishments will observe a shutdown on Tuesday as part of the all-India strike call going out from eight major trade unions, including the Congress-affiliated INTUC. The strikers are protesting the price hike, the violation of labour laws, and disinvestment of public sector undertakings.
CPI MP Gurudas Dasgupta, speaking with PTI, said that Tuesday’s strike would be among the biggest independent India has witnessed. “Employees of almost all the public sector undertakings, banks and even private industries in the state will be participating in the bandh. It will be a total bandh, as even the leaders of autorickshaw unions have expressed their solidarity with it,” said VGK Nayar, president of the state council of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions, attached to the Communist Party of India (Marxist).
Almost all the trade unions, with the exception of the Hind Mazdoor Sabha, have joined the bandh in the state. Presenting the charter of demands, Nayar said that the steep rise in prices of essential commodities has made life miserable for poor and middle class people. Price of essential commodities should be controlled, he said, to help the poorer sections tide over such steep hikes. The government should take the initiative to provide at least 35 kg of rice for the poor and middle class at Rs2 per kg, Nayar said.
Blaming the recent huge hike in prices of petrol and diesel for creating a price spiral, Nayar said that the administered price mechanism for petroleum products should be reintroduced. Contract labour ought to be abolished, he said, and at least 3% of the GDP should be devoted to the welfare of workers in the unorganised sector, who constitute about 90% of the working class, he said.
Apprehending untoward incidents, several private companies in Bangalore have declared Tuesday a holiday. Workers will be expected to report for duty on Sunday to compensate production losses on account of the bandh.
The Akhila Karnataka State Government Employees’ Federation has called upon its members to participate in the strike by abstaining from work. Pledging support to the nation-wide strike, the federation has said that the strike was intended to draw the government’s attention to the demand to constitute a sixth wage commission to remove disparities in state government employees’ wages. Work in state government offices, however, is likely to remain unaffected.
The Karnataka government Employees’ Association, which has the membership of the majority of government employees, would not participate in the bandh, president L Byrappa said.
The state government, meanwhile, in a release, has cautioned employees that strict punitive action will be taken against those participating in the strike. Under the 1966 Karnataka Civil Service Rules, government servants should not participate in strikes. The department of personnel and administrative reforms, in the release, said that strict action would be taken against those who abstain from work on Tuesday.
Comments