It is Day 2 of the nationwide strike against various policies of the government called by joint forum of central trade unions and banking, public transport and other services are expected to be hit again on Tuesday in parts of the country.
The joint forum of central trade unions said that bandh-like situation prevailed in at least eight states ? Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Puducherry, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Odisha, Assam, Haryana and Jharkhand ? due to the nationwide strike that began on Monday.
While partial disruption of banking and transport services is expected on the second day of the strike, essential services like healthcare, electricity and fuel supplies may remain unaffected like Day 1.
Public offices, as well as educational institutions, are also expected to not be affected by the nationwide strike called by nearly a dozen trade unions.
Top points on two-day Bharat Bandh strike as it enters the Day 2:
1. The Bharat Bandh that started on Monday saw a bandh-like situation in eight states ? Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Puducherry, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Odisha, Assam, Haryana and Jharkhand ? joint forum of central trade unions said.
2. According to the forum, agitations were held in many industrial areas across states like Goa, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Punjab, Bihar, Rajasthan, West Bengal, Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh.
3. Banking and transport services were partially hit in several states on Day 1 and the same is expected on the second day of the strike.
4. Heavy rush was witnessed at metro railway stations in Chennai as the state-run Metropolitan Transport Corporation( MTC) buses stayed off the road due to the pan India strike called by joint trade unions. Koymabedu station was particularly packed with long queues for tickets. Koyambedu, Triplicane, Nungambakkam and all major stations were overcrowded as buses were not plying.
5. Security workers in Sikkim went on strike. Besides, workers in industrial areas in Delhi, Himachal Pradeh, Gujarat and Jammu & Kashmir also joined the strike, the forum said. The forum added that around 50,000 employees picketed central government offices at 300 places in Tamil Nadu and that staff from the income tax department also joined the nationwide protest.
6. Public transport services were affected in Haryana on Monday as the Roadways employees joined the two-day nationwide strike. Commuters had to face a tough time as the bus services remained suspended at several depots of Haryana Roadways. The roadways employees held protest at many depots in the state as part of the strike. Sarbat Singh Punia, a leader of the joint front of 10 unions of roadways employees, said that “in all the depots bus services are suspended”.
7. Normal life was disrupted at some places in West Bengal. Transport services were affected in a few districts as protesters blocked roads and halted train movement at some railway stations on the Howrah and Sealdah sections. Railway officials, however, said there were no reports of any major disruption so far.
8. The forum also claimed that many employees in banks and insurance companies did not report at their work places while those engaged in coal, steel, postal, oil, copper, telecom sectors also participated in the strike. Electricity department workers went on strike in all the states, including Maharashtra where the government had invoked ESMA, it said.
9. Kerala state unions began strike from midnight of March 28 itself. Employees of railways and defence departments are reported to have organised demonstrations at more than one thousand places across the country, the statement added. According to the forum, anganwadi, ASHA, mid-day meal and domestic workers, construction, beedi and agricultural workers and hawkers-vendors participated in road and rail blockades in various parts of the country.
10. The protest found support from some lawmakers in Parliament. Rajya Sabha MPs from the Left and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) staged a protest at the Gandhi statue when the Rajya Sabha was adjourned till noon due to disruption in proceedings by the Opposition over rising prices of petroleum products and over trade union protests.
(With inputs from PTI)
Read all the Latest News India and Breaking News here
Comments
0 comment