Hyderabad: The CPI on Saturday said the trade unions were contemplating a national general strike to protest the 'pernicious economic policies' of the UPA. It has accused the UPA government of trying to destroy the foundations of public sector.
A national convention of trade unions, including AITUC, CITU and HMS, would be held in Delhi in the first week of August, where a final decision on the strike would be taken, the CPI Floor Leader in Lok Sabha Gurudas Dasgupta said.
Coming down heavily on the Centre's decision on disinvestment in NALCO and other public sector undertakings, and outsourcing of banking activities, Dasgupta, who is also the General Secretary of AITUC National Council, warned of intensifying agitation across the country to expose the `anti-people and anti-workers policies' of the UPA government.
He alleged that Finance Minister P Chidambaram was introducing a `back-door policy' to cripple the banking system by outsourcing cheque clearing and retail banking operations to private sector.
"This will lead to a situation where banks will become irrelevant and thousands of workers will be retrenched. The country is passing through a critical situation. Therefore, the trade unions have decided to take the bull by the horn," he added.
A national general strike was one of the options being explored while workers across various sectors would intensify the agitation by organising repeated strikes, Dasgupta said.
Dasgupta said his party would `relentlessly' oppose the present economic policies both within the Parliament and also on the streets.
Asked how long the Left parties would continue support to the UPA government, he said, "The stability of the government will depend on the government itself and not on us. We are extending support on the basis of Common Minimum Programme. We don't want mid-term polls and also do not like BJP to come to power."
He warned that the `confrontation' between trade unions and the government would accentuate in future and more and more strikes would occur across the country as the Centre was pursuing dangerous economic policies.
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