Trade unions' national strike: Pro-RSS union might stay away

Says govt offer a positive move and Wednesday's one-day stir should be deferred; others not impressed enough, especially Left

The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh-backed Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) on Friday appeared  to be backing out from going on a nationwide strike on Wednesday.  A final decision will be taken by the core committee of the union on Saturday.

Ten other central trade unions, including the Congress-affiliated  Intuc and the left outfits,  will go on a strike, despite assurances by the government on some of their key demands. All the central TUs met on Friday to decide the course of action, after a two-day meeting with a group of Union ministers, led by Arun Jaitley (finance).

The government had proposed to increase the bonus ceiling and the eligibility limit,  a new formula to considerably increase minimum wages, expansion of coverage of the social security net and  labour laws reforms via a tripartite mechanism.

BMS believed that the government should be given  time to implement  these assurances and hence the strike   be deferred from September two. However, all other unions were still unhappy and wanted to go  on strike  on that day.

“We feel the government should be given some time for executing their promises…At least six months…Because they have proposed amendments to certain laws and the process may take time. We felt the trade unions should not go on strike on September 2,” said Brijesh Upadhyay, general secretary of BMS after the union meeting.

BMS President B N Rai termed the government’s proposal a “positive step” and urged the other unions to defer the strike. BMS claims to have the second highest union membership in the country, of 17.1 million.

This is the second occasion when BMS will not participate in a strike since all central TUs came together in one forum in 2009. According to a union leader, BMS had “refused to participate in the 2010 strike due to some organisational campaign”. Since 2009, the unions have jointly called a strike each in 2010, 2012 and 2013.

“There is no change in the situation which could prompt us to defer the strike. BMS asked to postpone the strike but there is no concrete proposal from the government. Both the UPA and the NDA government have been saying these things. We have appealed to BMS to join us for the strike. This is only a one-day token strike to tell the government that we are upset,” said G Sanjeeva Reddy, president of the Congress-linked Indian National Trade Union Congress (Intuc).

“If the government agrees to some of our demands, such as some changes to their new formula to calculate minimum wages or assure us that labour law reforms will happen only after a broad consensus, then we might reconsider,” said S P Tiwari, general secretary of the Trade Union Co-ordination Centre (TUCC).

According to sources, the TUs' meet was divided. Hind Mazdoor Sangh, Intuc, TUCC and Labour Progressive Front agreed the government had taken some steps to address the concerns but more needed to be done. “I am optimistic that if the government shows some seriousness to take care of some of our concerns on Monday, the strike could be called off,” said a leader. However, unions affiliated to the Left parties were adamant on going ahead. Only BMS felt the strike should be called off, sources added.

Tapan Sen, general secretary of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions said even if BMS decided to not participate, other unions would go on strike.