Kolkata: The central leadership of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) is planning to form unions or employees' associations in the Information Technology sector in different States. It is also looking at an "organisation of IT employees at the national level," according to CITU president and Communist Party of India (Marxist) Polit Bureau member M.K. Pandhe.

The West Bengal IT Services Association has been set up earlier this week to protect the interests of all employees in the IT sector.

"A similar association has been set up in Bangalore recently and preparations are on for one in Maharashtra. Initial steps are being taken for developing such organisations in some other States too," Mr. Pandhe told The Hindu over the telephone from Bhopal on Wednesday.

"Initially it is planned to set up unions or associations in the IT sector at the State level after which we will consider an association at the national level — an issue which will be taken up for further discussions at the five-day all-India conference of the CITU scheduled to be held in Bangalore from January 17, 2007," the CITU president said.

"We do not want to form unit-wise unions but rather industry-wise unions," he added.

Nation-wide strike

The CITU leadership has also called upon all employees in the IT sector across the country to join the nation-wide strike by Left-Central trade unions in protest against the Centre's economic policies.

"There are nearly eight lakh employees in the sector in the country working nearly twelve hours a day, on computers which affect the eyes and where work conditions are inadequate," Mr. Pandhe said.

He said the CITU had earlier made a representation to the Labour Ministry seeking "Central labour legislation for the protection of IT employees" but the Ministry said State Governments should come up with the necessary legislation.

The CITU move to set up unions or associations is in conformity with the contention of the Central Committee of the CPI (M) that IT workers should "have the right to form unions, the right to collective bargain and the right to strike," he said.

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