Central trade unions on March 28 began a two-day nationwide strike to protest against the Government’s alleged wrong policies that are affecting farmers, workers and people.
Their demands include the scrapping of the labour codes, no privatisation of any form, scrapping of the National Monetisation Pipeline (NMP), increased allocation of wages under MNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee Act) and regularisation of contract workers among others.
The central trade unions that are part of this joint forum are INTUC, AITUC, HMS, CITU, AIUTUC, TUCC, SEWA, AICCTU, LPF and UTUC.. About 20 crore workers are expected to join the strike. The strike notices have been given by the unions in various sectors, such as coal, steel, oil, telecom, postal, income tax, copper, banks, and insurance, among others.
The unions in railways and defence sector are making mass mobilisation in support of the strike at several hundred spots, the joint forum had said earlier. Taking cognisance of the call, the Ministry of Power on Sunday had issued an advisory to States and other agencies to be on high alert and ensure round the clock electricity supply and stability of the national grid.
Hera are the updates:
SAIL, RINL, NMDC workers join nationwide strike
Thousands of workers of State-owned SAIL, RINL and NMDC on March 28 joined the nationwide strike, affecting production at steel plants and mines.
Around 8,000 non-executive Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL) workers out of 11,000 of the total did not come to work on Monday as part of the ongoing nationwide strike, a company official said.
He further informed that production has been affected at the unit as only one furnace out of three is functional at the plant in Visakhapatnam. While one was already under maintenance, the second one has been shut down as a precautionary measure.
Rajesh Sandhu, Secretary of NMDC Sanyukt Khadaan Mazdoor Sangh that represents workers at the NMDC operated mines, said around 10,000 non-executive employees of the company are observing the protest.
“Workers of NMDC mines and offices in Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Telangana, are on strike today,” he said.
Work at important mining complexes like Bacheli in Chhattisgarh and Donimalai in Karnataka are completely closed, Sandhu added.
Besides RINL, workers of Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) have also joined the protest, Steel Workers Federation of India (SWFI) said.
“Thousands of SAIL workers across its plants and mines in states like Chhattisgarh, Odisha and West Bengal refrained from coming to work,” SWFI’s working President P.K. Das said, adding the association is assessing the impact of protest.
SAIL and RINL are steel making companies under the Ministry of Steel. NMDC is the country’s largest iron ore mining company under the Ministry. — PTI
Life remains unaffected in Karnataka
The call for a nationwide strike by central trade unions did not affect normal life in Karnataka on Monday.
It was business as usual for transport services, Government offices and educational institutions.
However, industrial belts in Bengaluru and some other parts of the State saw demonstrations by workers.
According to Prakash K. of Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), the protests and demonstrations took place in a “decentralised” manner in the State. He claimed that banking and insurance services were hit.
In Bengaluru, demonstrations took place in Peenya Industrial Area, Bommanahalli, Bommasandra, K.R. Puram, Yelahanka, Bidadi, Kengeri and Anekal, Prakash told PTI.
Similarly, there were protests in taluk headquarters in many parts of the state, the trade union leader claimed.
He said there will be a “centralised” demonstration at Freedom Park in Bengaluru on March 29 by the 10 trade unions, including CITU, AITUC and INTUC.
However, the Bharat Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) did not participate in the two-day strike, Mr. Prakash said. — PTI
Nationwide strike fails to evoke much response in Tripura
The two-day nationwide strike failed to evoke much response in the BJP-ruled Tripura on March 28, the first day of the stir, officials said.
Attendance in Government offices and educational institutions was normal. Private schools, however, remained shut citing the safety of the students in the wake of the strike.
Vehicles were seen plying on roads while train services and flight operations were normal.
Banks, financial institutions, markets and business establishments remained open in Agartala, the state capital.
“Life was normal across the state today despite the strike. There was no detention or campaign in favour of the bandh in the state capital or elsewhere,” a senior police officer said.
Earlier, the Tripura Government had said its offices will remain open on Monday and Tuesday. The State authorities also mandated the employees to report for duty on these two days.
“Any exception to the Government order will be viewed seriously,” a Government notification issued on March 26 night read. — PTI
Coal workers join nationwide strike; production of dry-fuel to be hit
A large section of coal workers across India has joined the nation-wide two-day strike which is likely to affect the production and despatches of the dry fuel, HMS-affiliated Hind Khadan Mazdoor Federation said on March 28.
Coal workers who have joined the nation-wide strike have responded well and their active participation shows their dissatisfaction against the policy of the Centre aiming to destroy the existence of State-owned CIL and coal industry as whole, Hind Khadan Mazdoor Federation said.
The production of coal and despatches are also likely to be affected due to the protest, Nathulal Pandey, President of HMS-affiliated Hind Khadan Mazdoor Federation told PTI.
“As per the information received, the workers have participated in the strike all over India with great enthusiasm showing their unity, strength and determination to oppose the anti-labour, anti-people policies of the Central Government.
The Centre has decided to sell 160 running mines for a nominal amount of ₹28,747 crore to private companies under the National Monetisation Pipeline, he said.
“Earlier continuous strike/ protest of the coal workers compelled the Centre to slow down their policy of privatisation of coal mines. Unions as well as workers want to withdraw the unpopular 4 Labour Codes amalgamating 29 existing labour laws,” he said.
All the four central trade unions at Western Coalfields Ltd. (WCL)have participated in the strike. “Good response from the workers towards the strike reflects that strike will be successful in WCL,” he said.
In Eastern Coalfields Ltd. (ECL), strike is successful in some areas only, he said and expressed hope that as time progresses, success rate will also increase.
He claimed that the strike is successful at Bharat Coking Coal Ltd. and Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd. (MCL) also. The workers even blocked services of trains.
The production of Northern Coalfields Limited. (NCL) is affected due to the strike. In South Eastern Coalfields Ltd. (SECL), workers at all the 13 areas, except two, have gone on strike. Production and despatch of coal are paralysed, he said.
CITU general secretary Tapan Sen said that the strike by the coal workers has been above 60% till now and added that some collieries are completely closed.
“In Southern Eastern Coalfields Ltd, it is more than 80%...in WCL it is more than 60%. In Jharkhand area, we are still collecting report. In certain areas there is complete strike. In other collieries the coal dispatch was stopped because there was no production,” he said.
It is not a coal strike but a general strike by all the workers, he added. — PTI
Production at RINL plant affected as 8,000 workers join nationwide strike
Around 8,000 workers of Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Ltd. (RINL) did not report for work on March 28, affecting production at the company’s 7.5 million tonnes-steel plant in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.
There are around 11,000 non-executive workers at the plant and out of them, about 75% did not come for work as part of the ongoing nationwide strike, according to a company official.
“We had to shut down one furnace as a precautionary measure. One was already under maintenance. Only one furnace is working (at the plant),” the official said while responding to a query related to the impact of workers going on strike.
There are three blast furnaces of 2.5 million tonnes per annum each at the plant. RINL produces about 18,000 tonnes of hot metal on a daily basis. — PTI
Private buses ply in Puducherry; banking services partially affected
Privately-operated buses plied normally on March 28 in Puducherry even as banking services were partially affected due to the two-day national strike called for by various trade unions to against the alleged anti-people, anti-worker and anti-farmers policies of the Central Government.
Schools and Government offices functioned as usual while branches of some of banks did not function as workers abstained from work impacting services.
Police personnel were deployed in strength at all vantage points.
Privately-operated buses and also those operated by Puducherry Government-owned Road Transport corporation were plying as usual. Industrial establishments remained closed in most of the estates, according to sources.
Members of various unions held demonstrations at various places condemning the Centre’s policies. — PTI
Public transport services impacted in Haryana as roadways employees join nationwide strike
Public transport services were affected in Haryana on March 28 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”.
In some districts, prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CrPC were imposed to maintain law and order during the strike under which a ban has been imposed on the gathering of five or more persons in a 100-metre area of the bus stands, officials said.
Mr. Punia claimed that employees and workers of some other departments, including public sector banks and municipal bodies, are also participating in the nationwide strike.
Meanwhile, public transport buses were plying normally in neighbouring Punjab, officials said.
“Our bus services are running normally in Punjab,” an official of the State Transport Department said.
Naresh Gaur, Deputy General Secretary of Punjab Bank Employees Federation, however, said the employees of nationalised bank employees joined the strike and the banking services remained affected in Punjab. — PTI
Trade unions in Telangana raise unified voice against the Centre’s “anti-worker” policies
Raising a unified voice against the Centre’s “anti-worker” policies, members of various trade unions staged sit-in demonstrations at multiple locations in the State’s coal belt region as the 48-hour nationwide strike called by the joint forum of central trade unions began this morning.
Members of the Singareni Collieries Workers’ Union (SCWU), affiliated to the AITUC, staged a demonstration in front of the RK-7 underground coal mine in Srirampur area of Mancherial district this morning.
Slogans denouncing the Centre’s attempts to auction the four coal blocks in Telangana for commercial mining rent the air. The SCWU general secretary V Seetharamaiah led the demonstration.
Strike near-total in Kozhikode
Public transport was severely affected, and hotels, shops and other business units remained largely closed in Kozhikode district on the first day of the two-day national strike called by central trade unions against the Union Government’s anti-labour policies, on March 28.
The Kerala Road Transport Corporation did not operate their services. Most of the shops, except a few shops selling tea, coffee, and snacks, were shut. Major markets in Kozhikode city such as the one at Palayam and Valiyangadi, too did not function. Fruits and vegetables were seen left in the open outside some shops in Palayam.
Hartal-like situation in small towns of Wayanad
The strike led to a hartal-like situation in small towns of the district with shops, educational institutions and business establishments remaining closed. Attendance was low in Government offices and financial institutions.
Only eight out of 160 employees turned up for duty at the collectorate in Kalpetta, District collector A. Geetha said.
While private and KSRTC buses, auto rickshaws and taxi vehicles stayed off the road, two-wheelers and other private vehicles plied. However, Mananthavadi Taluk was exempted from the strike owing to the Aratu festival at the Sre Bhagavati temple at Valliyoorkavu near Mananthavady. No services were operated from the Sulthan Bathery and Kalpetta KSRTC depots.
Long queues of vehicles were seen on the Kerala-Karnataka and Kerala-Tamil Nadu State borders, including Tholpetty, Muthanga and Thaloor.
No untoward incidents were reported from anywhere in the district, police said.
Heavy rush in Chennai Metro trains due to strike
Chennai Metro trains and stations witnessed heavy crowds on Monday morning as most of the MTC buses were not available as a result of the all-India strike which was announced by the Centre of Indian Trade Unions.
Koyambedu station was particularly packed with queues extending up to almost its entrance.
According to officials of Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL), up to 10 a.m. nearly 40,000 passengers had used the train services since 5 a.m. on Monday. “We noticed that some of the important junctions like Koyambedu where hundreds of people take buses walking into our station and boarding a train. By the end of the day, we may know how many people travelled,” an official said.
Of late, about 1.5 lakh passengers travel in Chennai Metro trains through the week and the figures fall significantly during the weekend.
Life hit in parts of Bengal
Life was disrupted at some places in West Bengal in the wake of a two-day nationwide strike called by central trade unions from March 28.
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.
Operations at offices, educational institutions and commercial establishments were unaffected in most parts of the state, even as the trade unions backed by the Left Front exuded confidence that the strike would be successful on both days.
Banking services were partially impacted as branches in a few areas downed shutters with a section of employees not reporting for duty, while many ATMs remained closed.
However, there was hardly any impact on the functioning of new-generation private sector banks. — PTI
Essential services, including transportation and food delivery hit in Kerala
Normal life and commerce sputtered to a halt in Kerala on the first few hours of the nationwide general strike called by trade unions to protest against the “anti-labour” policies of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Central government., on Monday, March 28, 2022.
The 48-hour shutdown commenced on Sunday at midnight and will end at the same time on Tuesday.
The industrial action is particularly acute in Kerala, where pervasive left and Congress trade unions marshalled almost total resistance to the Centre’s proposal to amend the labour laws.
The shutdown disrupted essential services, including transportation and banking. Nationalised banks will remain shut till Wednesday.
Protesters prevent some employees from entering BPCL
All employees unions in the State and the country except the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh are taking part in the protest.
The protestors on March 28 morning tried to prevent some employees from entering Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) in Kochi.
Certain employees tried to enter the BPCL premises as the Kerala High Court had on Friday restrained five trade unions from participating in the nationwide strike.
Considering a plea filed by the BPCL challenging the trade unions in the company joining the protest, Justice Amit Rawal had issued an interim order restraining the unions from going on strike according to their call from 7 a.m. on March 28 to 7 a.m. on March 30. — PTI
Stir in Visakhapatnam opposing steel plant sale
Hundreds of workers took part in protests across Visakhapatnam on Monday as part of the two-day nation-wide strike called by trade unions opposing the Centre’s move to privatise public sector undertakings, with the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant being the epicentre of the stir.
The protestors also gave a call for Vizag bandh on March 28, which drew a moderate response.
Workers, under the aegis of the Joint Action Committee, staged a demonstration outside the main gate of the VSP, raising slogans against the Centre’s bid to go ahead with the strategic disinvestment of the steel plant.
They decried the statements made by Union Ministers in Parliament on the steel plant issue and said they were grossly misleading.
They vowed to thwart the Centre’s plans by all means and said their fight would continue till the end.
Trade unions AITUC, CITU and others staged a rasta-roko at Maddilapalem junction in Visakhapatnam, blocking traffic on the NH-16.
Police took the protesting trade unionists into custody and cleared the traffic. — PTI
Unions’ strike partially impacts banking services
Banking services were partially impacted on March 28 as a section of bank employees did not report for duty in support of the two-day nationwide general strike called by central trade unions.
However, there was hardly any impact on the functioning of new generation private sector banks.
Transactions at many public sector banks have been impacted as employees have not reported for duty. Besides, there might be a delay in cheque clearances and Government treasury operation might also be affected by the strike.
The impact of the strike is prominent in eastern India as many branches of public sector banks there are closed, All India Bank Employees’ Association (AIBEA) general secretary C.H. Venkatachalam said.
In the other regions, branches are open as officers are present but services are being impacted due to many employees participating in the strike, he said. — PTI
Bank unions protest against privatisation of public sector banks
Bank unions are protesting against the Government move to privatise two public sector banks as announced in Budget 2021-22. They are also demanding an increase in interest rate on deposits and reduction in service charges.
Besides AIBEA, Bank Employees Federation of India (BEFI) and All India Bank Officers’ Association (AIBOA) are also part of the two-day strike call.
All Indian Trade Union Congress (AITUC), Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) and Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC), among others are demanding scrapping of the proposed changes in labour laws and privatisation in any form. Increased allocation of wages under MNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee Act) and regularisation of contract workers are also part of their demands.
Most of the banks, including State Bank of India (SBI), had informed their customers about the proposed strike and likely impact on the services in advance. — PTI
Central trade unions begin two-day nationwide strike
All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) general secretary Amarjeet Kaur on Monday said, “The two-day nationwide strike by the joint forum of central trade unions has begun this morning”.
About the impact of the agitation, she said that the entire coal belt (mining area) is affected in Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh.
She also said that there is a good response in industrial areas of Assam, Haryana, Delhi, West Bengal, Telangana, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Bihar, Punjab, Rajasthan, Goa, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha.
The AITUC official noted that the banks and insurance sectors are affected all over India, while steel and oil sectors are also seeing partial impact due to the strike. — PTI
Ms. Kaur said that she has got preliminary reports that markets are closed in Odisha.
Workers of NMDC went on a complete strike at its mine in Bacheli and Bhilai Steel Plant employees also refrained from working, AITUC said. — PTI
(With inputs from Agencies)
