Karnataka - Belgaum   

Trade unions call for strike on August 20

Belgaum: Several trade unions have called for nationwide general strike on August 20 to protest against price rise and black marketing, and in support of their long-pending demands.

Thousands of anganwadi workers from the State will also participate in the strike.

Announcing this at a press conference here on Monday, State unit general secretary of the Centre for Trade Unions (CITU) S. Varalaxmi said the strike was being organised by the All India Trade Union Centre, the CITU, the Hind Mazdoor Sabha, the All India Central Council of Trade Unions, the All India United Trade Union Centre, the Trade Unions’ Coordination Committee and the Joint Action Forum for Public Sector Units besides, employees of BSNL, airports, insurance companies and nationalised banks.

The strike was being organised to draw attention of the Union and State governments towards the miserable condition of common man owing to spiralling prices of essential commodities and fertilisers, besides black marketing, she said.

The strike was also aimed at pressurising the Government to implement all labour laws to protect the interests of workers.

The other demands include strengthening of the public distribution system (PDS) and distribution of essential commodities through fair price shops all over the country, putting an end to black marketing of essential commodities and reducing taxes on petrol and diesel.

Ms. Varalaxmi said that the Government should implement all recommendations of the National Commission for Enterprises in the Unorganised Sector without any delay and waive farm loans obtained from private banks and finance societies.

She said that the State Government should not relieve any of the 7,194 anganwadi workers whose appointment had been struck down by the Karnataka High Court. The Government should ensure that no further “injustice” was done to these workers, she added.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

‘Cultivate the reading habit among children’
Red Ribbon Express in Belgaum tomorrow
Bommai visits flood-hit Hunnargi village
Trade unions call for strike on August 20

Copyright © 2008, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu