Trade unions to strike work as talks fail

Trade unions have decided to carry on with the proposed two-day nationwide strike beginning midnight tonight after last night's talks with government representatives ended in failure.

The strike called by country's 11 major trade unions, including Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), Hind Mazdoor Sabha (HMS), Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), All India United Trade Union Centre (AIUTUC), the Congress-supported Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) and others, will start from midnight on Tuesday.

Apart from all 11 major trade unions, over 2,000 independent unions will also join the protest on 20 and 21 February.

The unions are protesting against the ''anti-people'' policies of the UPA government, including failure to control price rise, poor implementation of labour laws, divestment of government's stake in public sector enterprises and the opening up of the various sectors of the economy for foreign direct investment.

During meeting with government representatives, leaders of central trade unions reiterated their demand for concrete steps by the government to contain price rise, ensure employment generation, strict enforcement of labour laws, universal social security for unorganised and organised workers and stoppage of divestment in central and state PSUs.

Other demands included payment of minimum wages of Rs10,000, abolition of contract labour, payment of equal wages and benefits to contract workers at par with regular workers, removal of all ceilings on payment of bonus and provident fund, increasing the quantum of gratuity, assured pension for all, compulsory registration of trade unions within 45 days and pension for everyone.