Bharat bandh hits normal life; Bengal, Kerala among most affected
The initial report received at the Confederation of Central Govt. employees and workers CHQ indicates the participation of about 8.5 lakh Central Government employees in today’s general Strike action of the Indian working Class. Earlier endorsing the call of the Central trade Unions, the Confederation of CGE and workers had called upon the Central Government employees to take part in the one day strike to compel the Govt. to withdraw the anti-people and anti-worker neo-liberal policies pursued since 1991. The report states that the offices of the Postal, Income Tax Ground Water Board, Survey of India Geological Survey of India, , Indian Bureau of Mines. Offices of the Census Departments, ISRO, Atomic Energy, Medical Store Depots, Film Institute of India, Offices of the AGMARK, various other autonomous scientific and research institutions, etc remained closed for the whole day and the work completely paralysed. The strike also paralysed the functioning of various offices of the Indian Audit and Account Department, Printing and Stationary, Census, CPWD, Civil Accounts, Indian Standards Institute etc. Total civilian employees of various Defence Organisations and Defence Accounts Departments participated in the strike. The strike in which lakhs of workers participated has cautioned the Government of the consequences of scrapping the various labour welfare legislations intended to please the Corporate houses.
The Central Government employees were particularly unhappy over the denial of the wage revision for the past 5 years, non grant of interim relief and merger of DA, the continued outsourcing and contractorisation of Governmental functions, denial of the Statutory defined benefit pension to the fresh appointees and above all the closure of the negotiating forum- JCM- since 2010. The Finance Minister’s statement in the Parliament while laying the Medium term Expenditure Framework Statement pegging the additional revenue expenses on account of salary, pension etc for the year 2016-17 at just 5% more than 2015-16 was indicative of the nugatory attitude of the Government towards its own employees’ genuine demand for wage revision. It has no doubt acted as a catalyst to the enthusiastic participation of the employees in the Strike action.
The Strike was total in Kerala, Tamilnadu. Maharashtra, Punjab ,Telengana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Jharkhand, Chattisgrah, MP, Orissa, West Bengal Assam, North Eastern States w and 80 to 90% in other States.
The Confederation secretariat congratulates the employees and their leaders, who undertook intensive Campaign to make the strike such a grand success. The Confederation Secretariat while thanking all its members for their whole hearted participation in the Strike and making it an unprecedented success, places on record the gratitude and appreciation for the yeomen efforts of the various Central Government Pensioners organizations in supporting the strike action.
Ten trade unions with a combined membership of 15 crore workers in public and private sector, including banks and insurance companies, are on a nationwide strike to protest against changes in the labour laws.
Normal life was affected in various parts of the country, including in West Bengal and Kerala, Goa, Karnataka and Tripura, as 10 central trade unions on Wednesday went on a day-long nationwide strike to protest against changes in labour laws and privatisation of PSUs.
BJP-backed Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh and National Front of Indian Trade unions however stayed away from the strike.
West Bengal
In Kolkata, train services on South Eastern railway were normal although Eastern railway officials said suburban services in the Sealdah south section were hit for sometime in the morning due to blockade at some places.
Metro Rail services were operating normally, officials said.
Shops, markets and business establishments in most areas remained closed.
State administration was plying a large fleet of public buses while private buses and taxis were also seen on the streets though their number was less compared to other week days.
State government employees stay at their office on the eve of nation wide strike called by several trade unions, in Kolkata. Photograph: Swapan Mahapatra/PTI Photo
West Bengal government and opposition Left Front locked horns over the strike call, with the former issuing circulars to employees and making all out efforts to keep life normal and the latter asking people to "tear away circulars".
Airport officials said that flights of Air India and other airlines operated normally at N S C Bose International Airport.
They, however, said passengers faced inconvenience due to inadequate number of taxis at the airport.
Protesters block the railway track in North 24 Parganas district in West Bengal
Delhi
In the National Capital, commuters faced problems as a large number of autos and taxis remained off the roads.
Kerala
In Kerala, public and private bus services, taxis and autorickshaws were off the roads. Only private cars and two wheelers were seen on the roads. Shops, hotels and even small tea stalls were closed in the state.
Autorickshaw drivers clash in Delhi
Tripura
In Tripura, the entrance gates of ONGC facility and the Tripura Jute Mill were closed.
Strike supporters were seen picketing on the roads and CITU members organised small rallies on railway stations while train services were also severely affected.
Goa
In Goa, the streets donned a deserted look during morning hours as private buses and state-run Kadamba Transport Corporation Ltd buses remained off the roads.
"Towns of Calangute, Ponda and Bicholim remained totally shut. All shops and transport have remained closed in support of the strike," convenor, Goa Convention of Workers and All Goa Transport Operators Associations, Suhas Naik said.
He said the state government was trying to force employees of KTCL to run buses but the workers refused to bow down.
Taxi service in the state was also affected as vehicles were withdrawn since mid night.
"Taxis from airport and railway stations were withdrawn since last night. Not a single taxi was plying from morning," secretary, North Goa Tourist Taxi Owners Association, Vinayak Nanoskar said.
Shops remain shut for the day in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh
Karnataka
In Karnataka, government transport workers joined the strike objecting to the proposed motor bill as buses and autorickshaws kept off the roads causing inconvenience to office-goers and those travelling to far-off places.
The strike affecting normal life has been reported from several parts of the state including Dharwad, Raichur, Davangere, Bellary and Hassan.
As per the membership claims filed by the central trade unions, there are over 13 crore members of the government recognised 12 central trade unions. India has a workforce of 50 crore people, of which over 80 per cent is in the unorganised sector.
Karnataka Home Minister K J George has warned against forceful imposition of the strike. City Police Chief N S Megharikh said adequate security arrangements have been made to see that no untoward incident happens.
Passengers have accused private transporters of over charging, using the strike as an opportunity.
Stranded commuters in Khammam, Telangana.
Odihsa
In Odisha, train services were disrupted for sometime at several places as protesters blocked tracks near railway stations like Cuttack,
Bhubaneswar, Sambalpur, Bhadrak, Chhatrapur and Khalikot, East Coast Railway (ECoR).
In the state capital of Bhubaneswar, roads wore a deserted look with agitators staging pickets at several places in a bid to prevent people from proceeding to offices and other destinations. Similar reports were received from places like Puri, Cuttack, Sambalpur, Bhadrak, Berhampur and Balasore.
The strike remained by and large peaceful with no untoward incident reported from anywhere, police said adding elaborate security arrangements were made to deal with any eventuality during the strike. In the port town of Paradip, loading and unloading of goods was hit at the port, while work in industrial units like IFFCO and PPL remained unaffected.
Trade union members protest over NDA's proposed changes in labour laws in Kanpur
Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh
Several services like public transport were partially affected in Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh. Commuters faced a lot of difficulties, though private buses plied on their route. Bank customers faced inconvenience.
All India Trade Union Congress Secretary D L Sachdev said in Gurgaon that as many as five lakh industrial workers have gone on strike there.
He also said that workers did not turn up at Maruti Suzuki plant on Wednesday due to agitation and even Rajasthan Roadways employees are in strike. Honda Motorcycle and Scooter plant in Manesar remained closed.
"The strike has had an impact across the country and even in Delhi. In several areas BMS people also joined the strike. Many local and affiliated unions have also joined in the strike," All India Trade Union Congress General Secretary Gurudas Dasgupta said.
Mumbai, Sep 2 (IANS) Maharashtra joined a staggering 300 million workers in the government and private sector, the financial sector, banks and financial institutions, and the farming community across the country for a day's token strike protesting what they alleged was the government's 'anti-exployees' policies here on Wednesday, a top organizer said.
The strike which started at daybreak mostly hit the finance and business sectors on which the entire commercial capital of the country is dependent on, as large sections government, ports, college professors, state transport and other sectors enthusiastically joined in.
"The strike in the banking and financial services sector is near-total. State transport buses are virtually off roads, as also work at the Mumbai Port Trust. Maharashtra's 1.50 million government employees are also joining in. Some private sector companies and offices affiliated to major unions are also close," said All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA) Vice-President V. Utagi.
However, public buses and suburban local trains were not hit but their unions are lending moral support to the striking umbrella unions. A section of cabs and autorickshaws also joined the strike, which Utagi described as "a major success".
He said that is the first ever all India major action by farmers and employees since the NDA-II headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi took office.
Later in the day, thousands of employees, their unions and representatives shall hold a mega rally in south Mumbai to highlight the success of Wednesday's agitation.
The strike has been peaceful with no reports of any untoward incidents from anywhere in Mumbai or Maharashtra.
In Delhi, people were seen waiting for hours for autorickshaws in several parts of the city, and public services like metro and Delhi Transport Corporation buses witnessed surge in number of passengers. People headed for offices, schools and colleges on Wednesday morning were impacted.
Taxis refuse to ply in Mumbai
Tamil Nadu
In Tamil Nadu, Government and private owned transport buses continued their services normally. Attendance in government offices and private establishments were also normal. All government and private hospitals also worked.
Meanwhile, a Puducherry report said normal life was hit due to the strike as shops, hotels and business establishments remained closed in the entire union territory.
Though government owned buses conducted services normally, privately operated inter-state and intra-state buses and auto rickshaws were off the roads. Majority of the schools also remained closed while attendance in government offices was normal.
Trade unions owing allegiance to Left parties, Congress, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and a few other political parties conducted rallies and dharnas as part of the strike.
“Puducherry unit Communist Party of India secretary R Viswanathan, Indian national trade union congress president G Ravichandran, Communist Party of India-Marxist leader V Perumal and all India trade union congress general secretary V S Abishegam were arrested for holding protests. No untoward incident was reported from any part of the union territory following the strike,” police said.
Policemen keep vigil as the government and opposition Left Front locked horns over the strike call.
The government had on Tuesday appealed trade unions call off the agitation in the interest of workers and nation. The unions however decided to go ahead with strike as their talks with a ministerial panel headed by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley last month did not make any headway on their 12-point charter of demands.
All India Democratic Women's Association and Democratic Youth Federation of India members block a railway track in Chennai
Trade unions' 12-point charter of demands includes urgent measures to contain price rise, contain unemployment, strict enforcement of basic labour laws, universal social security cover for all workers and minimum wage of Rs 15,000 per month.
They are also demanding enhanced pension for workers, stoppage of disinvestment in PSUs, stoppage of contractorisation, removal of ceiling on bonus and provident fund, compulsory registration of trade unions within 45 days, no amendment to labour laws unilaterally, stopping of FDI in railways, defence etc.
All India Bank Employees' Association protest in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh
Tinamool Congress and Communist Party of India-Marxist workers clash in Murshidabad, West Bengal
Banking services are also likely to be affected with bank employees also announcing to observe strike on Wednesday.
Employees of departments which will be participating in the protest include transport, power, education, HUDA, health, irrigation, market committees, universities, he added.
