The Confederation of Indian Pharmaceutical Industries (CIPI-ssi) has called for a national bandh of small scale sector pharmaceutical units on 30th May 2005 for protesting against the government policies like Schedule M mandate that could force closure of numerous units.

According to CIPI, more than 5000 units and over 9.5 lakh workers in these companies, chemists, pharma technologists etc. would refrain from work on Monday, next week. CIPI is also in the process of mobilizing support of leading trade unions and the All India Organization of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD) to actively support and participate in the protest.

CIPI has written letters in this regard to CITU, AITUC, HMS, INTUC, TUCC (Forward Bloc), UTUC etc, it is learnt. CIPI leadership also directed its state level organizations to get in touch with local trade unions to ensure active workers support, in a rare case of management-sponsored bandh in the history of pharmaceutical industry.

CIPI clarified to the trade union leaders that though management-sponsored bandh may sound somewhat strange, it is under ‘very exceptional and compelling circumstances.’ It is a resurgence of the SSI pharmaceutical units all over the country in protest at the wilful indifference of the Central Government to their legitimate right of existence, firms kept under pressure and threat for about three and a half years. After all, the industry implemented seven amendments of the Drugs & Cosmetics Act & Rules, 1945. Their appeal to the Central Government to settle the controversy over 8th amendment introduced in the form of revised Schedule M by appointing a review committee has gone unheeded. As per the latest government notification, firms failing to implement everything as prescribed will be grounded from 1.7.2005.

The quality standards maintained by SSI pharmaceutical units in India are in no way inferior to products manufactured in USA and other advanced countries. While the industry is prepared to implement all that is need based, the ultimatum will reduce the good work of SSIs to zero with the dawn of 1st July 2005.

CIPI noted many empathetic MPs from various parties had taken up the matter with union health ministry. Earlier in the immediate past parliament, a good number of MPs, then in opposition including present Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee and union minister Priya Ranjan Das Munshi had sent a memorandum on the issue to the Prime Minister. The present government shall not ignore their own important personalities and their earlier opinion and action on the question of Schedule M, particularly when a few MPs have taken it up again with health ministry in right earnest, hoped CIPI in its letter to the trade unions seeking support to the bandh call.

“In our struggle in various ways we appeal for your full support and intervention too in your own way to save the SSI pharma industry,” CIPI pleaded with the trade unions.