Bengaluru PSU trade unions stay away from shutdown

Bengaluru, Jan 8 (IANS) Hundreds of city-based employees of public sector undertakings (PSU) stayed away from the day-long shutdown on Wednesday, as the protest against the central government's 'anti-labour' laws and privatisation plans has coincided with the anti-CAA and anti-NRC protests by other organisations, a trade union leader said.

"As the day-long strike against the central government for its anti-labour policies and decision to privatise PSUs is coinciding with anti-CAA and anti-NRC protests, we are not participating as the latter (CAA and NRC) is not our agenda," said BEML Employees' Union convener Domlur Sreenivas Reddy in a statement here.

The joint action front of the trade unions' members are employees of Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML), Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Bharat Heavy Electrical Limited (BHEL), Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE), Indian Telephone Industries Ltd (ITI).