The Retail & Dispensing Chemists' Association (RDCA), Mumbai called for the strike to protest primarily against the meagre service charge of 13 per cent received by approved chemists in Mumbai and Thane as against 22 percent given to chemists in the rest of Maharashtra.

The RDCA's other complaints include delay in payment to the approved chemists which are pending for over six months besides non-availability of medicines due to an ill-managed government depot.

The decision to go on strike was taken after a meeting with ESIS director Dr Hemant Bharti on Wednesday who remained non-committal about any increase in service charge, informed Mahendra Shah, convenor-secretary, RDCA.

"Bharti however assured that he would regularise payments andimprove availability of drugs," he added, but remained firm that till the approved chemists do not receive their "rightful service charge of 22 percent with effect from a minimum period of three years backwards" the strike would continue for an indefinite period.