The Federation of Independent Trade Unions (Fitun) is prepared to take strike action if any attempt is made to merge the occupational pension plans with the National Insurance Scheme (NIS), Senator David Abdulah said yesterday.

Speaking at a breakfast meeting held at the Oilfields Workers' Trade Union headquarters, San Fernando, Abdulah said: "Just as we were prepared to go on strike in 1980, as general secretary of the union I am pretty certain we are prepared to go on strike again if there is an attempt to harmonise."

He said: "I want to make that absolutely clear to Mr Winston Dookeran, Minister of Finance or any other persons in the Ministry of Finance, World Bank, IDB, IMF or Central Bank who is considering insisting upon it, that they will be met with total resistance."

Abdulah said: "We contribute to the NIS and we must get NIS pension on the basis of our contribution. We contribute to our occupational pension plan which is our deferred earnings."

Abdulah said the unions will not wait for a bill dealing with the issue to reach Parliament, before objecting, but are "taking the position that they are going to be proactive and influence policies before it is too late".