Countrywide General Strike on February 24, 2004

IN a significant development, eight major central trade unions – AITUC, AICCTU, CITU, HMS, INTUC, TUCC, UTUC and UTUC (LS) – have jointly decided to organise a countrywide strike on February 24 in defence of the right to strike and also against the anti-people, anti-working class policies of the Vajpayee government.

The central trade union organisations met in the office of INTUC under the chairmanship of G Sanjeeva Reddy, president INTUC on January 5 and took this decision.

In the meeting they discussed the situation arising out of the failure of the central government to take steps to negate the pernicious impact of the judgement of the Supreme Court on right to strike. They also deliberated on the fallout of the economic polices of the present government resulting in worsening economic situation due to galloping unemployment, growing poverty, reckless privatisation and widespread closure of industries, and the deliberate inaction of the government to enact a law for unorganised sector workers.

Sanjeeva Reddy informed the meeting that he would take up the proposal of strike before the ensuing meeting of the INTUC Working Committee for favourable consideration.

The meeting appealed to all trade unions irrespective of their affiliations to join the above strike. (INN)