CPI (M) - Double Stand on Strike

            For the first time, chief ministers have agreed to support a nationwide strike called by trade unions. While as administrative heads they cannot be seen participating openly in a strike, Odisha and Karnataka CMs Mr.Naveen Patnaik and Mr.Jagdish Shettar, respectively, have assured "moral support" to the general strike being called jointly by 11 registered TUs in the country cutting across party lines on February 20 and 21.
           It is also for the first time that Shiv Sena and the Left parties have agreed to come together to protest against the Centre's "anti-people economic policies" and price rise. Sena chief Uddhav Thackaray has assured Dasgupta in Mumbai that his party will take part in the strike against work that is likely to hit the oil, coal, power, banking, transport, defence etc sectors. Besides the 11 registered TUs, 1,450 small TUs have joined the strike call.
           But, ironically while many from outside the Left or TU fold have joined hands to protest against the UPA government at the Centre, the Left camp itself stands divided on the issue of a two-day strike call. The Bengal unit of CPM, opposed to the idea of stalling work for 48 hours, has asked CITU, the party's trade union wing, to join the strike for only a day. This has emerged as a compromise formula within the CPM, to ensure that it does not seem that the Left camp is not together on the issue. In West Bengal, the strike is unlikely to be successful for the second day since CITU will not participate in the strike on February 21.     The second day of the strike has been planned to coincide with the opening day of the budget session of Parliament, when President Pranab Mukherjee will be delivering his address to the House.