Govt wants unions to reconsider their strike plan

The Centre on Friday called upon central trade unions to reconsider their decision to go ahead with their proposed nation-wide strike on September 2.

Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya has reached out to all the central unions and have asked them to reconsider their decision, a source said.

However, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh affiliate Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), which held two rounds of meetings this month with ministerial panel led by the Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, has not received any communication from the ministry, the source added.

As many as 10 central trade unions have decided to go ahead with their call for a 1-day pan-India strike on September 2, with no positive response from the government on their 12-point charter of demands.

The stir has been called to protest against certain labour law amendments and the government's indifference to union demands. The unions have said their decision to go on a country-wide strike still stands.

A senior union functionary said the letter by the labour minister is just a repetition of what he had said in the past, including during the meeting with the unions of July 18.

"There is nothing concrete in the so-called steps enumerated by the government to resolve our charter. We now are left with no other option, but to go on strike on September 2," he added.

BMS has so far not cleared its stand on whether it would join the Bharat Bandh.

On August 24, the union held the second round of meeting with the ministerial panel, after which it said it will take a decision after a formal communication from the government in this regard is received.

BMS had withdrawn from the strike call last year on September 2 following assurances by the government to work on the 9 out of the 12-point demands.