Central trade unions call for 2-day nationwide strike during Budget Session, protests from November 11

Ten central trade unions (CTUs) on November 3 announced that they will conduct a two-day nationwide strike during the Budget Session of the parliament, and a series of protests and conventions before that starting from November 11.

The central trade unions including All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), Centre for Indian Trade Unions (CITU), Hind Mazdoor Sabha (HMS) and Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) argued that their action is aimed at opposing the union government’s disinvestment plan of PSUs, highlight the hardship of the working class, the jobs challenge and farmers’ issues.

The central trade unions said their protests and nationwide strike is being planned with a “view to make the people aware of the dangerous effects of this policy” and the trade unions and their cadres have “decided to systematically reach out to the people, starting with a National convention of Trade Unions in Delhi on November 11, followed by state-level conventions…demonstrations etc all over the country”.

It will be “followed by a 2-day countrywide general strike during the Budget Session in 2022. The meeting (joint trade unions platform) decided to observe 26 November, the anniversary of the National General Strike of trade unions and the ‘Kisan March’ towards Delhi as a nation-wide protest day”, they informed.

The Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), a central trade union affiliated to the RSS, is not participating in the nationwide strike or other demonstrations with the 10 CTUs.