New Delhi: The Central Trade Unions (CTU) have called for a strike across India on Friday to voice their disagreement with the Central Government’s “unilateral labour reforms and anti-worker policies”.
According to the unions, this year’s strike will be bigger as the number of striking workers is expected to go up to 18 crore, much more than last year when around 14 crore workers participated.
Gurudas Das Gupta General Secreatary of All India Trade Union Congress(AITUC) stressed, “Most important is control of inflation, particularly the food inflation, social security for the unorganised labour, minimum wage for all unorganised should be Rs. 18,000, road is an investment for profit making public sector, low margin of banks etc are the main demand on which we are going on strike.”
Today’s strike will affect essential services such as banking, public transport and telecom.
The CTUs are going to strike work protesting against the government’s alleged apathy towards their 12-point charter of demands including a monthly minimum wage of Rs. 18,000, controlling price rise and assured minimum monthly pension of Rs. 3,000.
It should be noted that Indian Railways and other central government employees will not participate in strike as government has already constituted a committee to look into their demand of raising monthly minimum wage from Rs 18,000 to about Rs. 26,000 under the 7th Pay Commission.