In tune with its ànti-hartal policy, the business community in the State will keep their shops and businesses open during the nation-wide general strike by trade unions on January 8 and 9.

The Hartal Virudha Koottayma, a collective of 92 organisations representing various segments of business, has urged the trade unions not to turn their general strike into a hartal and force shops and businesses to shut.

“The trade unions will have the sympathy and support of the business community as we consider their demands are justified,” T. Nazirudeen, chairman of the Koottayma, told The Hindu. “But we cannot afford to close down our businesses again and again.”

He said the business community had been forced to shut down their shops and businesses for 97 times last year causing thousands of crores of lost to business. As a result, the Koottayma, which included bus and lorry operators, hotel owners and cinema theatre owners, had decided to observe the year 2019 as an anti-hartal year and defy all calls to shut down.

Mr. Nazirudeen, however, said the employees of shops and businesses who were members of the striking unions would be free to go on strike. “We urge all the trade unions to understand our situation and allow us to keep our shops and businesses open on January 8 and 9,” he said.

The attempt by the merchants on S.M. Street in Kozhikode to defy the Sabarimala-related hartal on Thursday had to face the wrath of Sangh Parivar outfits who had gone on the rampage on the street damaging several shops.

Meanwhile, the Calicut Chamber of Commerce and Industry has decided to implead in the petition filed by Kochi-based Kerala Chamber of Commerce in the High Court seeking a ban on hartals.