Central trade unions, except RSS-affiliate Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, launched the two-day nationwide strike to protest proposed labour reforms and worker policies of the government.
The strike by 10 central trade unions evoked a mixed response on Tuesday as five states, including Kerala, Odisha and Assam, witnessed complete bandh while sporadic incidents of violence were reported in West Bengal and Rajasthan. Central trade unions, except RSS-affiliate Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, launched the two-day nationwide strike to protest proposed labour reforms and worker policies of the government. Banking and postal services were affected across the country.
Things took a violent turn in Rajasthan's Alwar district as police clashed with protesters on Tuesday afternoon in Neemrana Industrial Area. Police had to use tear gas to disperse the mob after two officers were hurt.
In Gujarat, about 40,000 employees of nationalized banks joined their brethren in other Public Sector Units (PSUs) on the first day of two-day strike. Employees of insurance companies, the Postal Department, Reserve Bank of India, anganwadi workers and other unorganized workers also participated in the bandh.
A mob allegedly tried to enter an industrial establishment forcefully but were stopped by private security men. Police rushed to the spot and tried to talk to the agitators, but to no avail. When the situation turned violent, police were forced to resort to tear-gas to disperse the mob. "A few hundred men undertook a Labor Rights rally from Khetanath Kanta to Ambedkar park, where it was to end in a general meeting," said police. "While passing a Daikin factory, members stopped at the factory gates and began protesting. They wanted to get inside to shut the factory down forcefully, and urge the labourers working there to join the protest," says Sanjay Poonia, Station House Officer of Neemrana Police Station.
Suspecting that the situation could deteriorate, Additional Superintendent of Police, Manish Tripathi and Behror Circle officer Kushal Singh rushed to the spot with their team of 21 officers. The agitated protesters were allegedly in no mood to listen to reason and began pelting stones at the police force.
"We had to call for additional forces," says an officer, "Until they arrived, several officers, including ASP Tripathi and Singh were injured."
Meanwhile, in neighbouring Gujarat, close to 3,000 workers undertook a rally from Victoria Garden to the office of the Labour Commissioner and submitted a memorandum of demands, which include strengthening of PSUs and labour laws in the country.
Employees and workers in sectors such as steel, oil, mines, dock and port, transport, and insurance joined the strike.
In West Bengal, several protesters were arrested after sporadic incidents of vandalism were reported from parts of the state during the strike. Stones were pelted at a school bus in Champadali area of Barasat in North 24 Parganas district. A government bus was also ransacked by strike supporters at Champadali. Protestors also vandalised a bus at Jamuria in Paschim Bardhaman district.
Trains were stopped in Kerala, while buses and autorickshaws were off the road. The strike also disrupted rail and road traffic in Odisha.
—With agency inputs
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