The Hindu : Unions should change strategy: Basu

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Nov 21, 2003

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National

Unions should change strategy: Basu

Kolkata Nov. 20. The former West Bengal Chief Minsiter, Jyoti Basu, today advised the workforce to strike a balance between realising its demands and maintaining productivity in the context of desperate efforts by the State to woo investors.

``In view of newer forms of attacks on the working class in the shape of liberalisation and globalisation policies pursued by the Centre, the unions too need to change their strategy and see that productivity is maintained while realising their demands'', Mr. Basu said inaugurating the three-day conference of the State unit of the CITU.

With the domestic industry facing competition from abroad following abolition of protective regime, modernisation and application of latest technology was a must for survival, he said.

``In every factory, the working class would have to take this into account under a liberalised economy. It is a worker who suffers most in the event of a closure of a factory'', he said, adding that the Left Front Government was constantly telling the workers they should not be ``indifferent'' on the question of productivity.

Mr. Basu said the working class in the country was facing newer threats as an attempt was on to snatch the workers' right to strike and organise agitations.

The CITU State secretary, Chittabrata Mazumdar, said the union would continue to hold protest-movements if workers' interests were jeopardised.

PTI

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