Addressing a press conference, LPF president and DMK MP C Kuppusamy said the call is for an industrial strike in Tamil Nadu. Though Chief Minister M Karunanidhi has lent his support to the strike, it was done in his capacity as DMK president, and not as Chief Minister, Kuppusamy argued.The press release issued by the trade unions has called for the support of factory workers, agricultural labourers, small farmers, students, youth, and women, and also urged the traders to keep their shops closed on Dec 11. But Kuppusamy denied that it will be a Government-sponsored bandh. He added, ``While the traders are free to join the general strike, we will not compel them toparticipate in the strike.''

CITU State General Secretary T K Rangarajan and AITUC State General Secretary S S Thiagarajan said essential services will be exempted from the general strike.

The trade union leaders charged that along with the minorities being attacked across the country by communal forces, the BJP-led Government also lacked a sense of direction in framing economic policies which had led to the spiralling of prices of essential commodities, affecting the poor and deprived segments, besides the work force in the unorganised sectors.

``The strike is not organised to demand any wage revision for the workers across the spectrum of industries'', but is in the interest and welfare of the general public, highlighting the danger to the nation if the forces led by the BJP will have their way in determining the rules of governance, Kuppusamy said.