Ramaswami: ON February 20, 2013, the central trade unions, viz the BMS, INTUC, AITUC, HMS, CITU, AIUTUC, AICCTU, UTUC, TUCC, SEWA and LPF, congratulated the working people of India for their overwhelming and magnificent response to the united call of two day countrywide general strike that commenced on the same morning. The joint statement issued by the trade unions on the day said, the “unprecedented response to the call of strike throughout the country, much beyond our expectations, reflects truly the anger of the people against the persistent increase in the prices of diesel, gas, coal, electricity and other essential goods for the bare need of the common people.” The trade unions also said the strike was also a protest against the total inaction of the government to address the basic problems of the workers arising out of the inflation and slowdown of the economy.