Around 20 crore trade unions and farmers' and teachers' associations across the country are on a two-day nationwide strike beginning today (January 8).
Central trade unions (CTUs) have called the two day nationwide general strike to protest against pro-corporate, anti-national and anti-people policies of the BJP-led NDA government.
"The strike is quite visible in Assam, Meghalaya, Karnataka, Manipur Bihar, Rajasthan, Goa, Punjab, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Haryana -- particularly in the targeted industrial areas and different mines," Amarjeet Kaur, General Secretary of All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), told PTI.
Among the demands put forward by the unions are minimum wage, universal social security, workers’ status and including pay and facilities for the scheme workers.
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Here are the LIVE updates:
Clashes In West Bengal's Asansol
Tension in Asansol during the band called by the left trade unions against the anti-people policy of the central government. SBSTC bus run by Bengal government was allegedly ransacked by the supporters of trade unions.
In Odisha, Members of Central Trade Unions hold protests and block commuters in Bhubaneswar demanding minimum wages and social security schemes among others.
Kerala, too, is gripped with Bandh related protests against the Modi government's policies.
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Here are the major HIGHLIGHTS of the Bharat Bandh:
* As 10 trade unions began their two-day nationwide general strike on Tuesday, incidents of vandalism were reported from Bengaluru and West Bengal's Asansol.
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* This is the 18th nationwide general strike against the alleged anti-worker policies of the government.
* This is the largest number of workers from formal and informal sectors joining a strike against anti-people and anti-worker policies of the BJP-led central government.
* CITU said the main aim of their 12-point charter of demands is to revive the country's economy, save the rights of the working class.
* The 10 CTUs which have gone on strike include INTUC, AITUC, HMS, CITU, AIUTUC, TUCC, SEWA, AICCTU, LPF and UTUC. RSS affiliate Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) will not participate.
* Banking services, including cheque encashment, demand draft, ATM, and other services, may be disrupted due to the two-day strike call given by All India Bank Employees Association (AlBEA) and Bank Employees Federation of India (BEFI). Bank of Baroda, IDBI Bank, Indian Bank, Punjab and Sind Bank, and Allahabad Bank have already informed the stock exchange that the scheduled strike will affect banking services.
* All educational institutions including schools, colleges and universities in Odisha will remain closed on Tuesday.
In a joint statement, the CTUs had alleged that the government undermined tripartism and continued its "aggressive attack with arrogance on the lives and livelihood of the working people."
The unions are also protesting against the proposed amendments in Trade Union Act, 1926, saying those are irrational and extremely damaging to the independent functioning of unions.
The unions claim that farming communities through their associations have also extended support to the strike.
Kolkata
State transport undertakings will run 2,200 buses in Kolkata and 30 per cent of additional buses will be kept in reserve for use in case of emergencies. The department has also opened two grievance helplines — 8902017191 and 18003455192.
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Anurag Saxena, general secretary of Delhi unit of the CITU, said labourers, workers, government and bank employees would participate in the protest march.
"Industries, factories across Delhi will remain shut tomorrow. Employees of many banks, government departments will also participate in the protest," Saxena told IANS.
AIKS said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had betrayed all promises he had made to farmers made before the 2014 elections.
Odisha
In Odisha, Members of Central Trade Unions hold protests and block commuters in Bhubaneswar demanding minimum wages and social security schemes among others.
Delhi-NCR
AIKS President Ashok Dhawale said the BJP rule of past four-and-half-year had witnessed "aggressive pursuit" of neo-liberal economic policies, which mounted burden on the farmers and labour force.
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"The peasantry is being dispossessed and forced to sell its labour in the unorganised sector under precarious conditions. This situation calls for greater coordinated actions between the working class and the peasantry," the release quoted Dhawale as saying.
The CITU had taken active part in the Kisan Mukti March that was held in November last year in the national capital over the demands of better crop remuneration and farm loan waiver.
The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has also planned one-day 'dharna' in Delhi on Tuesday, which will be attended by its leader and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, to demand higher MSP for paddy.
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Kerala
The two-day nationwide strike called by various trade unions was near total in Kerala on Tuesday and has so far been peaceful.
Barring the BJP-backed BMS trade union, all other unions are protesting and calling for their demands, including a rise in minimum wages to Rs 18,000 besides raising the minimum pension wages to Rs 3000, amongst others.
At the stroke of midnight, employees attached to the Government Press took out a protest march here.
State-owned private buses and contract vehicles were all off the roads, but pilgrims to Sabarimala have been allowed to proceed from all places.
The attendance at the State Secretariat, the seat of power in the state, was more or less deserted, with attendance figures likely to be very poor.
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(With inputs from IANS)
