As many as 11 Central trade unions in the country, including those of the bank and insurance employees, planned to strike work on Sep 2 in protest against “people-unfriendly policies” of the Union government. The unions have placed 11 demands, including fixing statutory minimum wages at Rs. 15,000, stopping contract labor, bringing the unorganized sector workers under EPF Act and ESI Act, raising minimum pension to Rs. 3,000 per month and implementing labor laws pertaining to work hours, wages and work conditions, before the government. Unions opposed disinvestment in public sector units and increasing foreign direct investment across sectors.

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