West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee has got the mandate from the CPM politburo to decide, in consultation with trade unions, which IT services may be exempt from strikes in the state.At the end of the two-day politburo meeting here today, CPM general secretary Prakash Karat said: “In West Bengal, we have told them to decide on the matter, that you can take a decision.the party and state CITU can decide (on the issue).”In West Bengal, IT services have been declared as public utility services. The no-strike policy in the state has been a key part of Buddhadeb’s showcasing his state as an investment destination. Karat said the issue had cropped up because IT workers had been stopped from going to work during the all-India strike on September 29. That opposition on the issue had come from CITU, which like other trade unions has so far been unsuccessful in the IT IT sector, was not lost on Karat. “CITU has not been able to organise IT workers. If they can do it, fine, then we will see,” he said. Karat admitted that IT was a diverse sector: ‘‘There may be IT services connected with essential services like BPO that may have to be maintained.’’
