Somnath Bhattacharya, secretary of the CPM-backed West Bengal Information Technology Services Association (WBITSA), said only the 24x7 business process outsourcing (BPO) units would be spared. Bengal was the first state to declare IT services as a public utility service in its 2003 IT policy, but a series of general strikes since have thrown up a thorny issue: how to ferry staff to the workplace.

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 the BPO managements to make transport arrangements.

Bhattacharya said his union is already campaigning at Salt Lake’s Sector V, the hub of the state’s IT sector, for the 24-hour general strike.

Although his union claims to represent the IT companies’ staff, the only members are some staff of Webel, the government’s promotion agency.

But there is some discrepancy of ideas among the trade unions on the issue. While the WBITSA secretary was for a partial bandh, Sukumal Sen, the secretary of the All-India Federation of State Government Employees Unions, said the strike should apply to the entire IT sector.

“Aren’t IT people hurt by the Government of India’s policies? We are sure they will support our strike,” said Sen.

Industry representatives said they expect the government to honour its commitment to allow the IT firms to function 24x7.

S Radhakrishnan, president of the Bengal Chamber of Commerce & Industry and CEO of BPO Descon, said: “Once the position about the strike is clear, we will talk to the government on the issue.”