Date:14/05/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/05/14/stories/2008051452071300.htm

National

Unions call nationwide strike

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: Major central trade unions have called a nationwide general strike for August 20 to protest against the “fallout of the anti-worker, anti-people neo-liberal policies” of the government which have led to price rise.

The decision was taken at a national convention of the unions here on Tuesday.

The unions, barring the Indian National Trade Union Congress, affiliated to the Congress, and the BJP-led Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, will serve the strike notice on the government on August 4 and begin demonstrations in all States and industrial centres on July 30. Earlier, joint conventions will be held across the country from July 15.

The meeting denounced the government for not honouring the commitments made in the National Common Minimum Programme, as a result of which, it said, the agrarian crisis continued unabated, speculative trading dominated the commodity market and the public distribution system virtually collapsed, making the situation unbearable for the common people.

A resolution said the government was indifferent to the popular demands for universalising the PDS and banning futures trading in essential commodities..