Protesting against price rise and the decision to privatise profit making public sector undertakings (PSUs), trade unions affiliated to major political parties, including the ruling Congress, Thursday called for a nationwide strike on Sep 7.

"It will be like a nationwide shutdown Sep 7. The workers in the country are anguished over certain policies of the central government," said R. Chandrasekharan, national secretary of the trade union arm of the Congress party, Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC).