As part of preparations for a nation-wide strike called for February 20 and 21 by 11 major trade unions, a big rally will be taken out on Monday in Mumbai. Over one lakh workers are expected to participate.
Sena backing
Interestingly, the trade union wing of the Shiv Sena too has supported the strike, which, among other things, is called to protest the rise in prices of essential commodities, inflation, poor employment generation and to seek social security for unorganised workers.
Communist Party of India MP and AITUC general secretary Gurudas Dasgupta claimed that this was the first time a strike would be organised for two days.
All-round impact
The strike will have an impact in transport, port and dock, electricity, petroleum, coal, steel, defence production, telecommunications, postal, hospitality industry, major engineering, electrical and automobile sectors, banks, including private ones, and retail shops.