Don’t be surprised if your maids don’t turn up tomorrow

MUMBAI: Be ready to spend more time at home, cleaning utensils and sweeping floor on Thursday. For, maidservants in the city will join the Left labour unions in striking work on December 14 to protest against the government’s pro-globalisation policies.

This is the first time that various unions of maidservants in the state have extended support to an all-India strike call. “The strike is basically against the government’s anti-poor and pro-World Bank-IMF policies,” said AD Golandaj, convenor of the Trade Unions Joint Action Committee.

According to KL Bajaj, the state CITU chief, as many as 50 lakh workers are expected to strike work on December 14. “We want to register our protest against the government’s failure to stick to the common minimum programme. This is a wake-up call to the government,” he said.The demands made by the joint action committee include no FDI in telecom and defence sectors, no disinvestment of profit making PSUs including nationalised banks, putting on hold the SEZ Act and a review of the Electricity Act, 2003. The long charter of demands includes another 15 issues as well.

Industrial workers, state and central government staff, bank employees, dock and port workers and power utility employees are expected to participate in the strike. In the state, the Federation of Associations of Maharashtra, a representative body of small and medium traders, is supporting the strike.

In Mumbai, the municipal employees are joining the strike, though it’s not yet clear whether it will be supported by BEST workers and employees of the water supply department. The Left-affiliated organisations have planned a rally at Azad Maidan on December 14 to highlight their demands. Meanwhile, the state government has cautioned its employees against going on strike and warned of disciplinary action.