The Federation of Medical and Sales Representatives Associations of India (FMRAI) will commence its proposed general relay strikes across the country with its Kerala unit holding a three-day strike here from May 8 to press for its nine-point charter of demands.

FMRA has decided to resort to relay strikes in the states like Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, culminating in West Bengal on June 25 in pursuance of its demands with the drug companies, Central and state governments. The decision to have relay strike was taken after the annual general meeting held in Shimla in February this year.

Replacement of medical and sales representatives by illegal sales officers and contractors, making field workers exclusively responsible for sales and making sales as part of their job conditions were some of the issues raised by the federation.

Pending response from the Central and state governments, the federation proposed to follow up the general relay strikes by dharnas in Mumbai and Delhi in November seeking their intervention and for holding a probe into "unfair trade and corrupt business practices" indulged in by certain drug companies, Raja said.