Trade unions call for bandh on May 20

Trade Unions in Puducherry have decided to call for a bandh in the Union Territory on May 20 in lieu of observing the nation-wide strike called by their national leadership to protest against the ‘anti-worker and pro-corporate’ policies of the Centre. 

After a meeting of the leaders of various trade unions, barring Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, on Saturday, general secretary of the All India Trade Union Congress Sethu Selvam said the national leadership of around ten trade unions have called for a nation-wide strike on May 20 to demand scrapping of four labour codes.

However, the Puducherry leadership of trade unions has decided to observe a bandh in the Union Territory on May 20 to highlight the specific problems confronting the working class in the territory also, he said.

The Puducherry government has failed to revive the cooperative sector and reopen closed textile mills. Several societies were in the red and people have been working without salary for months. The textile and sugar mills were closed affecting the livelihood of several workers, he said.

“So, we have decided to observe a bandh in the Union Territory instead of going on a strike on May 20. We have decided to organise picketing in seven places on the bandh day to press for our demands,” he said.