Monday, October 17 2005 14:13 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Kolkata: In a bid to insulate the nascent IT sector in West Bengal from strikes, Chief Minister Buddhadev Bhattacharjee has decided to take up the issue with the Communist Party of India (CPI) Marxist (M) politburo seeking a review of calling strike as a means of protest when it hits the IT industry.

Stating that IT is not like any other industry, like jute or engineering or machine tools, the Chief Minister said, ''We have to review whether the strike calls are helping us or not.''

''Politically, I will take up the matter at the highest level'', Bhattacharjee, also a CPI(M) politburo member, told a private TV channel.

Coming out strongly with his view that strike should not hit the operations of the IT sector, Bhattcharjee said, ''We should not allow this to happen in IT sector at least''.

Bhattacharjee's comment came in the wake of September-29 nationwide strike, called by Center of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) and other left trade unions, that turned into a complete bandh in the state, affecting the IT sector.

CITU President M K Pandhe had earlier stated that IT sector should not be excluded from strikes.

''Rather, it should be included in the strike. IT workers are being exploited mercilessly by managements. They put in 12 hours a day. They are being victimized at random. Their trade union rights are being suppressed," Pandhe said.