Workers all over the country have ignored and rejected the politically motivated strike called by leftist trade unions, said C.K. Saji Narayanan President, BMS and Chairman of CONCENT (a joint front of 6 central Trade unions) in a press statement today.
“The strike call is supported a fraction of INTUC also. Industries are working, Public Sectors are totally unaffected, transport traffic in Delhi and other areas are totally normal. Unions in leftist organisations also have shown cold response to the Strike call. Railway unions belonging to the pro-Hartal organisations did not participate in the strike,” Shri Saji Narayanan said.
“Leftists are desperately trying to use students and farmer organisations to strengthen the union strike. Even State Government supported hartals in Kerala and Karnataka are having poor show comparing to the previous years,” he added.
It is for the first time in the recent history that call by divided Central Trade Unions showed a poor response, the statement said. Unions belonging to six Central trade unions viz. BMS, TUCC, NFITU, INTUC, HMKP, NLO under a joint platform named “CONCENT” (Confederation of Central Trade Unions) have openly dissociated from the strike call accusing that it is a politically motivated and untimely strike. “The failure is an eye opener to all those who support leftist organisations, whose vote politics is dividing trade union unity in the Central Government, where as Communist ruled Kerala State Government has refused,” it added.
Leftist unions are boycotting Government’s important consultations on labour law amendments; only Central unions belonging to CONCENT have participated. The consultation on the recent trade union amendment bill before it was presented in parliament was boycotted by leftist unions, but now they raise objections. CONCENT has already adopted a 20 point charter of demands in its recent Convention in Delhi and had presented it to Prime Minister through Labour Minister. BMS President Saji Narayanan congratulated the workers of the country who have stood above politics and rejected the attempt to politicise the labour movement through such a hartal.
