Unions stick to Sept 2 strike call; BMS seeks review

Central trade unions today decided to go ahead with their proposed nationwide strike on September 2 against labour reforms, even as BJP-backed BMS -- the second largest union -- pressed for reviewing the call and giving the government six months' time to deliver on its assurances.
"We have not got any concrete proposal or assurance from the government so far. Thus we have decided to go on strike on September 2," Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) President G Sanjeeva Reddy told reporters after a meeting of the coordination committee of 11 central trade unions which have given the strike call.

Reddy said the central trade unions will announce further details about the industrial action on August 31.
However, the Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) suggested that the unions should not go on a strike as of now and review the decision in light of assurances given yesterday by the government.
A high-level group of senior ministers had met the top union leaders on Wednesday and Thursday to convince them to withdraw the call for strike and had also promised to look into their various demands including on minimum wages, contract labour and social security.
"We should not go for the strike just for the heck of it. We should not go on strike for doing politics and we want workers' welfare. We asked other trade unions today to give six months' time to the government to honour its assurances and review the decision of going on strike," BMS General Secretary Virjesh Upadhyay told reporters after the coordination committee meeting.

The BMS will hold an internal meeting tomorrow to review the decision of the strike in view of the government's assurance to the central trade unions, he added.
All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) General Secretary Gurudas Dasgupta said, "It is unfortunate that at the eleventh hour, BMS has opted out of the strike. The government's stand is ambiguous, negative and dilatory. Therefore, there is no reason to reconsider the decision to go on strike. We appeal to all to join the strike."
Yesterday, the ministers' group, headed by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, had offered increasing the minimum wages and making it mandatory, among other assurances.