Mixed response to all-India strike in Gujarat

The nation-wide strike called by trade unions, received a mixed response here with banking and insurance sectors functioning at half its strength, and transportation remaining unaffected.

According to State Bank of India spokesperson, all the clerical staff and non-supervisory staff were on strike, while all officers were on duty.

Due to the strike, banking operations have been affected across the state and the city, as branches were open but there was nobody to conduct the transactions.

All central government offices saw partial attendance with most of the clerical and lower level staff not turning up. However, top officials remained present in offices.

The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) run buses were operating as per schedule. However, their frequency were reduced in anticipation of violence.

There were protest marches and demonstrations at the Labour Commissioners office in Lal Darwaja area by members of the over 22 trade unions in the city.

Also, number of rallies are scheduled in the city in support of the 24-hour strike later in the day.

All-India strike 'partially' hits operations; most PSU banks remain open
Operations in public sector banks were partially affected due to the day-long strike called by a section of bank unions to protest against outsourcing of non-core activities to private sector, among other things.

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.

The strike by bank employees is part of the one-day all-India general strike, called by major central trade unions.

The bank unions are also protesting against unilateral imposition of Khandelwal Committee recommendations with regard to human resources issues and outsourcing of jobs. Their demand also include enactment of stringent and effective measures to recover bad loans.

State Bank of India's Deputy General Manager R Dipankar Basu said while branch operations have been partially hit as clerical staff are not attending office, officers are present in full strength.

When asked about the impact on business, he said it is too early to say anything.

All-India Bank Employees Association convenor CH Venkatachalm, however, termed the impact of the strike a complete success as clearing houses remained totally paralysed with unions of Reserve Bank and SBI participating in the strike.

"We thank all the unions for their full participation and making it a grand success," Venkatachalam told PTI over phone from Chennai, in the middle of a protest rally.

Normal life partially hit in Assam
Normal services are likely to be affected in Tamil Nadu on Tuesday as eleven major trade union wings are participating in the nation-wide strike call pressing for various demands.

It is the first time since Independence that trade unions have joined hands for a strike over a series of issues from the Government's liberalisation policy.

The government had last week appealed to the unions to desist from going on strike with Labour Minister Mallikarjun Kharge saying they were ready to discuss the matter.

Though Kharge has reportedly said most of the issues concerned were addressed, he had assured them of sorting out those issues, related to labour.

However, the trade Unions turned down the request.

Eleven major trade unions including Congress affiliated INTUC, Shiv Sena-backed Bharatiya Kamgar Sena and UPA ally Indian Union Muslim League's trade-wing STU, Hind Mazdoor Sabha, Employees Federation of LIC, DMK's Labour Progressive Front are participating in the dawn-to-dusk strike.

The strike has been called to register protest against rising prices of essential commodities and to make demands including disinvestment of Public Sector Undertakings, amendments to the Minimum Wages Act and compulsory registration of trade unions.

Banking operations are also likely to take a hit due to the strike call as more than eight lakh employees would be participating in the strike.

All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA) General Secretary, CH Venkatachalam, has said the Unions would stage a dharna in front of the Memorial Hall in the city to voice their protest.

Tamil Nadu is home for about 16,000 branches of banks employing about 50,000 people.

Besides the agitation by the AIBEA, protests by various trade unions participating in the strike will take place in the city in different locations.

100 held for obstructing rail, roads in Bengal
Transport and banking services were hit in Punjab, Chandigarh and Haryana today in the wake of the day-long strike called by major trade unions against the anti-labour policies of the Centre.

Buses on several routes remained off the road in Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh.

"We have 20-30% impact on public transport services in Haryana because of the strike....the services are hampered in Fatehabad, Hisar, Jind, Yamuna Nagar, Sonepat and Kaithal," a senior official of Haryana Transport Department told PTI.

He said employees have refused to join duty despite being asked to.

Striking employees of public transport service in Punjab and Chandigarh have decided to keep the buses off the road between 12 and 2pm.

"We are trying to rope in workers on contract basis to run buses in order to minimise inconvenience to public and even persuading others to join duty," a senior official of Punjab Transport department said.

Asked if ESMA would be invoked, senior officials of Punjab and Haryana said no decision has been taken so far to enforce the Act.

With major bank unions observing the strike, financial transactions came to a halt in all the branches of public sector banks. However, banking services in private sector banks were not affected.

Bank unions have given a strike call, demanding tough measures to recover bad loans and stop outsourcing of non-core activities to private sector.

"There will be no transaction in banks today," said Punjab Bank Employees Federation, Secretary Naresh Gaur.

Agitating bank employees also took out a rally in Ludhiana to press for acceptance of their demands.

It was the industrial sector of Punjab and Haryana which bore the brunt of the strike.

Industry representatives in Punjab and Haryana said business was hit due to the strike in banks.

All-India strike disrupts banking, transport in Delhi
Employees of various organisations and Left activists on Tuesday held rallies and other forms of protests across Andhra Pradesh as part of the nationwide strike called by major trade unions against the anti-labour and anti-people policies of the Central Government.

CPI State Secretary K Narayana, who led the protest here charged that the Congress government in Andhra Pradesh imposed heavy burden on common people in various forms like hiking taxes and also VAT on traders.

The people would teach a lesson to the Congress government if it did not mend its ways, he said. CPI claimed in a release that Narayana was taken into custody by police and kept at the police station at Nallakunta.

The staff of various firms along with Left workers squatted in front of their offices and also at bus stations of APSRTC preventing buses from going out.

Several political parties including TDP and TRS have expressed their support to the strike. The union of various PSU bank employees gave a call for the strike opposing banking sector reforms among other issues.

All-India strike disrupts banking, transport in Delhi
The nation-wide strike against government's anti-labour policies had little impact on normal life in Delhi on Tuesday though functioning of PSU banks was affected and a number of autos and taxi drivers kept their vehicles off the roads.

Commuters complained that frequency of state-run buses was low as the 24-hour strike called by all major unions to protest the anti-labour policies of the government, rising prices and disinvestment of PSUs began on Tuesday morning.

Unions leaders, who have rejected appeals to desist from the strike, said all 11 major trade unions including Congress-affiliated INTUC, Shiv Sena-backed Bharatiya Kamgar Sena and UPA ally Indian Union Muslim League's trade-wing STU have joined hands to make the strike a success.

The unions are demanding no contractorisation of work --permanent or perennial nature, amendment of Minimum Wages Act, assured pension for all and compulsory registration of trade union among others.

Many bank customers were left at sea as employees of PSU banks refused to conduct transactions as part of the protest. Employees of RBI in the capital held a protest outside their office and shouted slogans against the policies of the government.

Auto and taxi union leaders said they were participating in the strike to protest against the government policies towards them. They alleged the government was doing nothing for setting up a welfare board as ordered by the Supreme Court.

In a bid to ensure that power supply in the capital remains uninterrupted during the strike, Delhi government had last night clamped ESMA on all power companies, including that of generation and distribution.

Partial impact in Mumbai
The nation-wide strike called by trade unions on Tuesday to protest anti-labour policies of the government, rising prices and disinvestment of PSUs, had a partial impact in the country's commercial capital, with only financial institutions getting affected.

Barring banking and insurance sector, which have a large presence of trade unions, normal life was 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.

Services at both the city airports was smooth inspite of the strike call by 11 trade unions.

They are expected to demonstrate at South Mumbai's Azad Maidan later in the day as part of the strike. The unions are demanding no contractorisation of work -- permanent or perennial nature, amendment of Minimum Wages Act, assured pension for all and compulsory registration of trade union among others.

The government had last week appealed to the trade unions to desist from going on strike with Labour Minister Mallikarjun Kharge saying they were ready to discuss any kind of labour-related issues but union leaders rejected it stating that the government had enough opportunity earlier to sit with them and discuss the issues.

Normal life hit in Kerala
Normal life was disrupted in Kerala on Tuesday due to the country-wide strike called by central trade unions to protest the "anti-labour" policies of the UPA government.

Buses kept off the roads and shops were closed in the state. 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 the state has enforced 'dies non' (no work-no pay) order against the strike in government offices.

Early reports from across the state said in most places the mobility of people was hit as the impact of the strike was near total in the transport sector with buses, taxis and autorickshaws keeping off the road.

The rail traffic, however, was not affected and no blockade was reported from anywhere in the early hours. There was no disruption in electricity or water supply and the health sector exempted from the strike.

Labour leaders have claimed that the strike is going to be a historic event and a stern warning against "anti-labour policies" of the UPA Government.

The key demands of the unions include guarantee of labour rights, end to the contract labour system, bringing workers in the unorganized sector under the social security net and pension benefit for all workers.

Besides the Left unions like CITU and AITUC and HMS, the pro-Congress INTUC and pro-BJP BMS are also supporting the strike.

All-India strike live: Normal life unaffected in Kolkata
Normal life on Tuesday remained largely unaffected here due to the general strike called to protest anti-labour policies of the government, with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee warning state government employees that absence from duty will be treated as a break in service.

State government-run buses, taxis, trams, trains and Metro rail services were normal though private buses were plying in fewer number.

Flight operations from NSC Bose international airport here were normal. All morning flights of Air-India and other private airlines left Kolkata airport as schedule, sources said.

"Everything has been normal so far. Things are going on well. Tight security arrangements are in place with 400 police pickets set up in various parts of the city," City police commissioner R K Pachnanda told PTI.

"Twenty-five flying squads are patrolling the city to prevent any disruption in law and order. Senior police officers, including the deputy commissioners of police, are overseeing the law and order situation," Pachnanda said.

Director General of Police, Naparajit Mukherjee told PTI that situation has been normal in the districts. Some arrests have been made in certain places including Hasnabad and Madhyamgram for obstructing traffic, he said.

Railway sources said the train services in Howrah, Asansol and Malda division of Eastern Railway are normal.

Major unions have called a countrywide strike to protest the "anti-labour" policies of the government, rising prices and disinvestment of PSUs.

Bandh supporters blocked railway tracks in some places in Sealdah division.

The spokesperson for South Eastern Railway, Soumitra Majumder, said, "Train services have been normal. All trains have reached Howrah station and morning trains have left from Howrah to respective destinations as per schedule."

State Transport minister Madan Mitra, who stayed overnight at the control room at Netaji Indoor Stadium to ensure normal flow of traffic, said that he has received information that state-run buses in north Bengal were plying as usual.

"People are joining work ignoring the bandh call. They have responded to the call given by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to keep the state moving and not to join any bandh which cripple economy," Mitra said.

Employees at Writers' Buildings (state secretariat) spent the night at respective departments to join work on Tuesday.PTI PKC