CPI leader’s plea to make TUs’ strike in February a success

Senior Communist Party of India leader and general secretary of All India Trade Union Congress Gurudas Dasgupta on Friday appealed to people belonging to all sections to extend support to the two-day nationwide general strike called by 11 trade unions on February 20 and 21 in protest against the anti-people policies of the Centre.

At a press conference here, Mr. Dasgupta said it is for the first time that the trade unions had given a call for a two-day general strike as the Centre was not willing to hold discussions with the trade union leaders about its “reckless economic policies” that were aggravating the financial crisis in the country.

“We have no option but to go ahead with the strike with the slogan ‘hit out at the government that hits the people’,” Mr. Dasgupta said. He informed that there will be no road or rail transport for two days due to the strike when all banks, and various industries will remain closed,” Mr. Dasgupta said.

“It is not a political strike, but a workers’ strike to protect the interests of the country,” he added.

He also appealed to the retailers and all trade union organisations to extend their support to the strike as the unions that had called for the strike were strongly opposing foreign direct investment in the retail sector.

The CPI leader said he would continue to campaign across the country to mobilise support for the general strike that was aimed at bringing the Central government into its senses.

The Centre’s anti-people economic policies had resulted in large scale retrenchment of workers and price rise thereby affecting the common people badly, Mr. Dasgupta said, while reiterating various demands of the trade unions such as no disinvestment of profit making public sector undertakings, social security for those working in the unorganised sector including agricultural workers and employment for the unemployed youths.

Mr. Dasgupta, who met Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to seek his moral support for the general strike in the evening, said he would also meet Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalitha and other leaders to make the strike a success.