Briefing mediapersons on the deliberations of the all-India general council of the CITU being held in the city, Phande said the need of the hour was the `coming together' of all the trade unions. In a bid to promote trade union unity, the representatives of the five central trade unions -- CITU, AITUC, INTUC, BMS and HMS -- will meet on May 12 to decide on the `issues' to be taken up for joint struggle. Besides, the five trade unions will meet every month, in an effort to bring all the unions including the Congress-affiliated INTUC and the BJP's BMS, on a single platform to strengthen the labour movement in the country.

Stressing the need for trade union `unification' in the face of the anti-labour new economic policy and ``attempts to sideline the labourunions'', he said that the central trade unions had already taken up joint struggles on several issues, including the demand for granting recognition to the trade unions through secret ballots.

The CITU general council condemned the proposed moves to `disturb' the DMK government in Tamil Nadu through Art. 356 and said it was undemocratic and unacceptable. ``State governments can be dismissed only if they cannot function in a democratic fashion,'' Phandhe said.

The meeting also voiced concern over the `massive slow-down' in Indian economy, quoting a recent survey by the Association Council of Confederation of Indian Industry which had said that 33 out of the 49 industrial sectors had recorded a major slow-down, contrary to the claims of the pro-reform economists.