Left trade unions give strike call on Aug 20

Left-supported trade unions have given a call for a countrywide strike on August 20 to protest the United Progressive Alliance government's economic and 'anti-worker' policies and in support of their demands.

The unions would give the notice for strike to the Government on August 4, All India Trade Union Congress' Andhra Pradesh unit General Secretary P J Chandrasekhar Rao told reporters in Vijayawada on Wednesday.

Prior to that, the union representatives would meet here on July 21 to finalise their stragegy for the stir, he said. The strike call has been given by 56 unions and their affiliated units which have prepared a seven-point charter of demands, Rao said.

The demands include immediate steps to control the prices of essential commodities, enactment of a welfare law for the unorganised sector, strengthening of the public distribution system and scrapping the contract system of employment, he added.