Kolkata, Jan 9 (IANS) Stressing that high ambitions of political parties have led to infighting between trade unions and jeopardised labour movement in the country, unions Monday said there was a need to rethink political affiliations.

“Labour movement in the country has been gradually jeopardised because of high ambitions and power struggle between the political parties, leading to constant infighting between the unions. It is high time we start thinking beyond political affiliations,” said G.S. Reddy, president of Congress-affiliated Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC).

Reddy was speaking at a meet of central trade unions who had gathered to garner support for their call of countrywide shutdown on Feb 28 to protest against labour exploitation.

Reacting to the absence of Trinamool Congress-affiliated Indian National Trinamool Trade Union Congress (INTTUC) at the meet, Reddy said: “They do not believe in trade union movement. The Trinamool has been constantly attacking our men and offices. They only believe in politics of power.”

Gurudas Dasgupta, general secretary of the All India Trade Union Congress, the oldest union in the country, blamed the central government for the poor condition of labour.

“The government at the centre only thinks about the industrialists and the wealthy. They are least concerned about the conditions of our workers. In the last budget the government gave companies a tax rebate of Rs.80,000 crore but when it comes to giving social security to the workers it says it has no funds.

“For the first time in the history so many central trade unions have assembled at a single place. It is a historic moment and the dawn of a new countrywide labour movement which will surely culminate in the workers getting what they deserve,” said Dasgupta.

Other trade union leaders also blamed the policies of the central government and urged people to make the Feb 28 countrywide shutdown successful.