KOchi: Members of the Central trade unions, state unions, government employees and teachers will participate in the 24-hour strike called by the joint committee of trade unions at the national level on September 2.
“Life in the state will come to a standstill as workers in both the organised as well as unorganised sectors will strike work as part of the national agitation for pressing the 12-point charter of demands of the trade unions,” leaders of the joint trade union committee told reporters after a meeting here on Monday.
The central government has taken up for discussion the 12 points which included strict implementation of labour laws, introduction of social security measures, and protection of the public sector but no decision was forthcoming.
“This leaves the working class in the country, who number about 10 crore, with little option than a strike,” they said.
The trade unions have added the withdrawal of changes in the labour laws as well as the land acquisition ordinance to the list of demands.
Work on the Kochi Metro, which generally gets an exemption during strikes, will also come to a halt, they said.
The Railways will be functioning on the strike day but the passengers will have no connectivity. “Hence, we request all sections of people to avoid travelling on that day and cooperate with the strike,” the leaders said. “We will however take a humanitarian approach to those who are forced travel on that day.”
CITU state general secretary Elamaram Kareem, INTUC state president R. Chandrasekharan, AITUC state general secretary K. P. Rajendran, and BMS state vice-president V. Radhakrishnan were among the participants., TUCI state secretary Charles George and Self-employed Women’s Association secretary Sonia George were among the leaders who attended the meet.
