Kolkata, Mar 28 (PTI) The two-day nationwide general strike called by central trade unions to protest against “wrong” policies of the Union government evoked mixed response in the eastern region on its first day on Monday.
Services in the banking and financial institutions were partially hit in several states in the region such as West Bengal, Assam and Jharkhand. However, there was hardly any impact on the functioning of private sector banks.
Bandh supporters put up blockades on road and railway tracks, while they were seen picketing in front of various bank branches across the region where normal life was partially affected.
Educational institutions, business establishments, shops and markets largely remained unaffected.
The Jharkhand chapter of the Bank of India Employees Union (BoIEU) claimed that more than 2,000 branches of various public sector banks remained closed across the state.
Saket Kumar Sharma, assistant general secretary of BoIEU, Ranchi zone, told PTI that they were protesting against various issues, including privatisation of banks, sale of public sector units and outsourcing in the banking system.
“We are also demanding re-constitution of the old pension scheme,” he said.
INTUC central secretary and vice president of Indian National Mines Workers Federation (INMWF) AK Jha claimed that coal dispatch and road transportation remained affected in Jharkhand.
“Coal production was affected by more than 70 per cent. Dispatch and transportation have been affected,” he told PTI.
However, coal companies including Central Coalfields Limited (CCL) and Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL) claimed that there was no impact of the strike on coal production.
Five workers of Heavy Engineering Corporation (HEC) Limited claimed they suffered injuries in a scuffle with bandh supporters in Ranchi, who wanted to stop them from entering the plant.
In Assam, banks, insurance companies and all other public sector institutional financial establishments remained closed as the employees did not report for their duties.
Tanker services of various oil companies were also hit as different unions took part in the strike.
City and long-distance buses, cab services, auto-rickshaws and other commercial vehicles decided not to ply on the first day of the general strike leaving the commuters in the lurch.
Left activists blocked roads and railway tracks at several places across West Bengal where markets and shops were open while essential services like healthcare, electricity and fuel supplies remained unaffected.
Public and private offices and educational institutions were not impacted by the strike.
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.
INTUC backed Jute Mill trade union leader Ganesh Sarkar said the strike was a partial success in jute mills. Several mills in Howrah remained closed, but many others were operational.
An Eastern Coalfields official said 90 per cent of the production remained normal. SAIL’s Durgapur Steel plant also remained operational. There were no reports of any significant disruptions in industrial productions in Haldia industrial town, ports and the IT sector.
A joint forum of central trade unions has given a two-day strike call on Monday and Tuesday to protest against a number of government policies.
The strike, however, failed to evoke much response in Tripura.
Attendance in government offices and educational institutions was normal, officials said.
Their demands include the scrapping of the labour codes, no privatisation in any form, scrapping of the National Monetisation Pipeline (NMP), increased allocation of wages under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act and regularisation of contract workers.
The central trade unions part of this joint forum are INTUC, AITUC, HMS, CITU, AIUTUC, TUCC, SEWA, AICCTU, LPF and UTUC. PTI TEAM NN NN
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.