Mamata asks people to foil September 2 strike

The ruling Trinamool Congress on Monday asked the residents of West Bengal to “foil” the September 2 nation-wide strike called by several central trade unions including the Leftist trade unions - AITUC and CITU. “The CPI(M) and Left Front during its 34-year-old rule had pushed state backwards with its militant trade unionism. Now when the state is moving fast on the path of development, they are trying to stop it either by violence or through shutdowns,” senior TMC leader and state Panchayat Minister Subrata Mukherjee said.

“They (Left) have ruined the state by ‘goondaism’ during their 34-year-rule in the state. Now they are again trying to take up ‘goondaism’ to halt the state’s growth,” Mukherjee said. Central trade unions called a country-wide strike to protest against the proposed changes in various labour laws. But the BJP-backed BMS later pulled out of the proposed strike.

Left trade union CITU had on Sunday warned the West Bengal government against attempts by the administration to thwart the strike and said if the state was imposing a war on the people then the people will be ready to give the TMC a befitting reply.