Over 20 crore people participated on the first day of the two-day national general strike called by ten Central Trade Unions (CTUs) on Monday, according to the CTUs. Pro-government organisations, however, said the strike was a flop and it had no impact on the routine of people.

The strike was called to protest the economic policies of the government, according to the CTUs.

Opposition parties raised the issue in both the Houses of Parliament and asked the Centre to address the concerns of the workers.

The unions said the strike call was given not merely on immediate demands of the workers but against what they described as the anti-national destructive policies of the Centre. They claimed that it was bandh-like situation in Kerala and Tripura and in several districts of Tamil Nadu, Haryana, West Bengal and Assam. The BMS, also a CTU, which did not participate in the strike, said the strike was politically motivated; the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) said the strike has been a “total flop” in the informal sector.

Industrial centres in Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Delhi, Telangana, Karnataka and Haryana witnessed strike and protest rallies, the unions claimed.

“In Tuticorin VOC Port and Paradip Port the strike was total and it was substantial in other areas. PSUs such as Vizag Steel and BHEL units at Tiruchi and Ranipet were paralysed due to the strike. In the coal mining sector, strike was more than 60 per cent on the average with Singareni Collieries in Telangana witnessing almost 100 per cent strike,” said CITU general secretary Tapan Sen.

He said the strike in Power Grid was unprecedented as it was complete in Southern Region covering Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Puducherry and in the North Eastern Region covering Assam, Nagaland, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Arunchal Pradesh and Tripura and Eastern Region covering Odisha, Sikkim and West Bengal.

“Oil/Refinery sector, LPG plants also witnessed massive strike action in Assam and all the north eastern states and also at Kochi and Mangalore,” he said. Another claim of the unions was that the strike had a huge impact in insurance and banking sectors.

The Forward Seaman’s Union of India said in a statement that Indian seafarers expressed their solidarity with the strike from mid oceans and from the ports across the globe. In rural areas, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha and various unions of agriculture workers supported the strike.

In Rajya Sabha, proceedings were adjourned after Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu refused to admit notices by opposition members on the strike. The Opposition protested forcing Naidu to adjourn the House till 12 pm. “I have gone through the notices. I have decided not to admit them,” Naidu said.

In Lok Sabha too the Opposition parties moved adjournment motion on the matter.

Senior Congress MP TN Prathapan, who moved the motion, said the general strike reflects the despair and protest among workers against the policies of the Narendra Modi government.

He said Parliament should discuss the concerns and demands of the workers. Ten Central Trade and Labour unions are holding a two-day national strike. This strike is one of the largest nationwide strikes ever witnessed. It reflects the desperation of people in the country,” Prathapan said.

The 12-point charter of demands of the CTUs include scrapping of the Labour Codes and Essential Defence Services Act, accepting demands of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha, stopping privatisation and National Monetisation Pipeline and food and income support of ₹7,500 per month to non-income tax paying households.

Related Topics
comment COMMENT NOW