NEW DELHI: The nationwide general strike on Thursday figured prominently in Parliament with the Left members raising the issue in both Houses and even deciding not to claim their day's allowance in support of the striking workers. Members from the Left Parties also stayed away from the proceedings and "warned'' the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government that it had enjoyed their support for long but it could not go on for long if the Government continued to pursue the "anti-poor'' and "anti-labour'' policies.

`Views ignored'

Members of the Left parties wanted suspension of the question hour to raise the issue in both the Houses but walked out in protest from the Lok Sabha while the Rajya Sabha saw a brief adjournment when their demand was not conceded. "You have enjoyed the support of the Left, while completely ignoring our views. This cannot go on for long,'' Communist Party of India (CPI) leader Gurudas Dasgupta said in the Lok Sabha when the matter was taken up soon after the question hour. This is the second general strike in two years to protest against the "all-round failure of the present Government,'' he said.

CPI(M) charge

Mr. Basudeb Acharia of the Communist Party of India-Marxist accused the Centre of failing to bring in legislation to provide social security to the 37 crore workers in the unorganised sector and creating a serious situation due to its economic policies where unemployment was increasing, labour laws were being violated and foreign direct investment was being allowed in various critical sectors.

The Left parties, which supported the workers' issues, were the Communist Party of India (Marxist), the Communist Party of India, the Revolutionary Socialist Party, the Forward Bloc, and were backed by the Telugu Desam Party, the Rashtriya Janata Dal, the Samajwadi Party, the All-India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, and the Bahujan Samaj Party. The MPs also held a demonstration in front of Parliament to express solidarity with the striking workers and marched to Jantar Mantar.

Legislation assured

Responding to the charges, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Priyaranjan Dasmunsi said the UPA had fulfilled most of its commitment and said legislation to provide social security to the unorganised sector workers would be tabled in Parliament in the Budget session. However, not satisfied with the response, the Left parties members walked out of the House.

Allowed to raise the issue during zero hour, Sitaram Yechury (CPI-M) "warned'' the UPA against not heeding the workers' demands, most of which were mentioned in the National Common Minimum programme. It has often been said that organised workers were interested in their welfare but most of the demands raised during the one-day strike were for unorganised workers, he pointed out.

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