Left trade unions led by the CPI(M)’s Centre for Indian Trade Unions (CITU) have decided not to spare the state’s information technology (IT) sector from the August 20 general strike called by them to protest the Union Government’s “anti-people” policies.Somnath Bhattacharya, secretary of the CPI(M)-backed West Bengal Information Technology Services Association, said only the 24x7 business process outsourcing (BPO) units would be spared.West Bengal was the first state to declare IT services as a public utility service in its landmark 2003 IT policy, but a series of general strikes since then have thrown up a thorny issue: how to ferry staff to their workplaces.Initially, the Government had begun issuing vehicle stickers to IT firms but had to stop the practice last year when CITU put its foot down.Bhattacharya said it was up to BPO managements to make transport arrangements for their staff since the 24-hour general strike would shut down normal life in the city and state.IT companies said they had already begun planning how to keep the firms staffed in the absence of public transport and in the likely event of road blocks.Industry sources said not many firms would be able to make the massive arrangements required to keep their offices running.
