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Central unions to back defence staff strike

In a bid to widen the agitation against the government's decision to open up defence production to the private sector, all the major trade unions on Wednesday called upon workers in other sectors to stage massive solidarity actions in support of the two-day nationwide strike by defence employees from July 23.

"The central trade unions call upon all sections of the working class to extend total support to the strike and stage massive solidarity actions on the days of the strike in all the state capitals and district centres," a statement issued by the unions said.

The joint statement issued by leaders of AITUC, BMS, CITU, HMS, INTUC, UTUC (LS), AICCTU, UTUC and TUCC described the decision of the three national-level organisations of defence employees to observe the strike as 'a befitting rebuff to the reckless move' of the government to privatise defence production.

Welcoming 'wholeheartedly' the united declaration, the unions asserted that the defence employees were compelled to decide on the strike for the security of the country, 'which is being jeopardised by such privatisation'.

"The government's proposal will seriously jeopardise the security and defence interests of the country," the statement said.

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