Odisha’s ruling BJD extends support to Bharat Bandh

Bhubaneswar: Odisha’s ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) will extend its support to the nationwide strike by trade unions tomorrow, said party leader Ranendra Pratap Swain today.

“Unemployment and economic slowdown have increased… people are suffering. ‘Sabka Vinas’ is taking place instead of ‘Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas’. We are extending our support to the farmers and labourers who have given the bandh call,” Swain said speaking to reporters here.

However, the party is yet to issue any official statement in this regard.

Central trade unions INTUC, AITUC, HMS, CITU, AIUTUC, TUCC, SEWA, AICCTU, LPF, UTUC along with various sectoral independent federations and associations had adopted a declaration in September, last year to go on a nationwide strike on January 8 to protest against the government’s “anti-people” policies.

“The Ministry of Labour has failed to assure on any of the demands of workers which called a meeting on January 2, 2020. The attitude of the government is that of contempt towards labour as we construe from its policies and actions,” the 10 central trade unions (CTUs) said in a joint statement.

“We expect participation of not less than 25 crore of working people in the forthcoming National General Strike on January 8, 2020, to be followed by many more actions seeking reversal of the anti-worker, anti-people, anti-national policies of the Government,” it added.

The unions are also against privatisation in railways, corporatisation of 49 defence production units and forced merger of banks.

(with PTI inputs)