Trade union leaders across the country and other nations on Tuesday advocated for unity among the associations to fight for the cause of labourers.

Delegates from the country, apart from Nepal, Bangladesh and Greece, are in Patna for the 9th national convention of All India Central Council of Trade Union, organised by the CPI(ML). The three-day summit began Monday.

Bangladesh Trade Union Centre representative Tapan Datta said: "Trade unions should not be a front of a political party. It should act on a political ideology to unite the working class but should refrain from moulding itself on the pattern of a political party."

He added: "If all trade unions are united on the minimum common issue, things would be resolved. Most of the trade unions are Left-oriented; the All India Central Council of Trade Union or the Bangladesh Trade Union Centre. The cause is the same but the division has weakened the strength of the unions."

Datta's views were seconded by Kul Bahadur Khatri from the General Federation of Nepalese Trade Unions.

On Monday, thousands of labourers and farmers took out a rally to protest the anti-labour policies of the Centre. On Tuesday, delegates gathered at Rabindra Bhavan to talk about rights of labourers.

Theodorakis Nikolas from Greece, representing World Federation of Trade Unions, said countries are fighting exploitation and imperialism.