New Delhi: A nation-wide 24-hour strike called by 11 major trade unions on Tuesday evoked a mixed response disrupting public sector banking operations and transport services in some states but normal life remained largely unaffected.
The strike in protest against the government's "anti-labour policies" was by and large peaceful with no major incidents of violence being reported.
Air services remained normal while train services were disrupted in some divisions of Eastern Railways and South Eastern Railways due to picketing by protesters.
Life in major cities, including capital Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai, was normal though it was affected in states like Kerala, Odisha and Tripura.
The stir had a mixed response in West Bengal where the Trinamool Congress government went all out to neutralise the strike with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee personally monitoring the situation. CPI(M) criticised the Trinamool supremo for adopting 'oppressive methods to foil the strike'.
Attendance at the West Bengal state secretariat, Writers' Buildings, was at an 'unusual' 65 per cent in the wake of the warning to state government employees by Mamata that absence from duty will be treated as break in service.
In West Bengal, shops, markets and business establishments were mostly closed in some areas, while state-run buses and trams plied with fewer passengers. 100 pro-strike supporters were arrested in different districts for obstructing rail and road traffic.
Most of the PSU bank branches in major cities were open, but the attendance remained thin as majority of clerical staff abstained from work.
Although the PSU bank unions claimed that operations were badly hit with employees going on strike, the managements maintained that only some clerical staff did not report on duty. Private sector banking services were normal.
Employees of RBI in the Capital held a protest outside their office and shouted slogans against the policies of the government.
In Mumbai, commercial banks reported lower attendance and loading/unloading operations at both the ports took a hit.
Besides the Left-backed unions, the pro-Congress and pro-BJP labour outfits are also backing the strike.
Central trade unions gave the strike call demanding guarantee of labour rights, end to the contract labour system, bringing workers in the unorganised sector under the social security net and pension benefit for all workers.
In the country's commercial capital, Mumbai, the strike had a partial impact with financial institutions getting affected.
Barring banking and insurance sector, which have a large presence of trade unions, normal life was largely unaffected in the metropolis with all essential services especially public transport functioning as usual.
"The shutdown in the banking and financial sector has been complete. The RBI's clearing houses are shut. So the private and foreign banks where we do not a have a presence, also get affected," General Secretary of All India Bank Employees Association, Vishwas Utagi claimed.
In Delhi, the strike had little impact though normal functioning of PSU banks were affected and a number of autos and taxi drivers kept their vehicles off the roads to take part in the protest.
Punjab, Chandigarh and Haryana witnessed disruptions in the banking and transport sector.
Reports from various places in the region said buses on several routes remained off the road in Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh even as officials were persuaded employees not to join the strike.
With major bank unions observing the strike, financial transactions came to a halt in all branches of public sector banks in the two states. However, banking services in private sector banks were not affected.
Normal life was hit in Kerala due to the strike with buses keeping off the roads and shops remaining shut. The strike also affected functioning of banks and offices as pro-Left unions in the state sector also joined the protest against the "neo-liberal economic and labour policies" pursued by the UPA Government at the Centre.
The Congress-led UDF Government in Kerala has enforced 'dies non' (no work-no pay) order against the strike in government offices.
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