The major central trade unions on Friday demanded that the Centre take steps to "negate" the impact of the Supreme Court judgement banning strike by government employees and decided to undertake a three-month long agitation with a possible one-day strike, the date for which would be firmed up later.
They will also observe the opening day of budget session of Parliament as national protest day.
"The Supreme Court judgement (on strike) is not at all acceptable to us. The government should take steps to negate the impact of the judgement by either moving a review petition or by enacting new laws to protect the workers' right," CITU president M K Pandhe and AITUC general secretary Gurudas Das Gupta told PTI in New Delhi, after a day-long national convention.
A resolution, moved by INTUC president Sanjeeva Reddy, was passed at the meeting, which demanded that the government take steps to protect the right of its employees to strike. The date of the strike will be decided by the central trade unions collectively, the two leaders said.
To a query whether their action would not amount to contempt of court, Gupta said, "If the Supreme Court wants to take any action, we are more than willing to face the consequences."
The central trade unions like AITUC, CITU, AICCTU, TUCC, HMS, UTUC, INTUC and UTUC (LS) took part in the convention, while BMS kept out of the meet, saying "CITU was playing a political game."
However, Gupta said their "doors are open" for the BMS to change the mind and join the struggle intended to protect the workers rights, including the right to strike.