New Delhi, Jan 29 (IANS): The two-day country-wide general strike against the "anti-worker, anti-people, anti-national policies" of the government that was to be held on February 23-24 has been deferred to March 28-29, the trade unions announced on Saturday.

The decision was taken in view of the constraints placed on strike preparations due to rising third wave of Covid pandemic; assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh on February 23; local body elections in Tamil Nadu, Odisha, West Bengal etc., close to February 23-24.

"Therefore, the Joint Platform of the CTUs and sectoral Federations/Associations have decided to defer the general strike dates to March 28-29 when the second phase of the budget session of the Parliament will actually be in session," a statement from the Joint Platform said on Saturday.

The decision was taken at an online meeting of the joint platform of Central Trade Unions and Sectoral Federations/Associations held on Friday.

The Joint Platform of CTUs called upon the working people and their unions irrespective of affiliations to intensify the ongoing preparatory campaign and activities to make the two days' countrywide general strike on March 28-29 a massive success to assert their pledge to save the people and save the nation from the destructive, anti-national policy regime.

"The joint platform also calls upon the workers and their trade unions in the election-bound states to vigorously campaign for defeating the BJP government, whose policies have forced the National Convention of Workers to give a call for two days countrywide strike," the statement said.

The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) had also expressed solidarity with the strike and had announced to join hands with the cause as the trade unions had supported farmers' agitation after which the government repealed the three farm laws.