Bharat Bandh: Over 25 crore workers joined strike, say trade unions

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Banking services in Madhya Pradesh hit as 40,000 employees join strike

Banking services in Madhya Pradesh were affected on Wednesday as around 40,000 employees of public sector and regional rural banks across 8,700 branches participated in a strike called by trade unions, an association leader said.

Normal life in Indore, the commercial capital of the state, remained unimpacted. Public transport and essential services were also not affected.

"Around 40,000 employees in about 8,700 bank branches across the state joined the strike. They include staff of 11 public sector banks and some regional rural banks (RRBs)," Madhya Pradesh Bank Employees Association (MPBEA) chairman Mohankrishna Shukla told PTI, He said the strike affected deposit and withdrawal operations and other services, including cheque settlement, renewal of fixed deposit (FD) schemes, and work related to the government treasury.

Shukla opposed privatisation and disinvestment of public sector banks and demanded immediate recruitment to fill pending vacancies in banks.

Nagaland govt employees join national strike, submit 5-point demands

The Confederation of All Nagaland State Services Employees Association (CANSSEA), in solidarity with All India State Government Employees Federation (AISGEF), observed a one-day national strike.

Addressing a press conference to voice concerns over employee welfare and pension reforms, CANSSEA general secretary Yhunsenlo Kent outlined a five-point charter of demands submitted to the Governor of Nagaland through the Chief Secretary.

The protest in Nagaland is part of a nationwide agitation coordinated by AISGEF demanding a rollback of the New Pension Scheme (NPS) and restoration of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS), along with 11 national-level demands. In the Nagaland context, government employees submitted five specific demands, Kent said.

Bandh affects coal, banking sectors in Jharkhand

Trade unions in Jharkhand claimed that coal, banking and other sectors were affected by the nationwide strike.

The trade union leaders claimed that the production, loading and dispatch of coal in Jharkhand-based mines have been completely affected as coal miners were on strike.

The officials of BCCL, CCL and ECL, however, said that there was no major impact. The officials said they would issue a bulletin on the impact after the final assessment in the evening.

Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) national vice-president Brajendra Prasad Singh claimed the strike was a success as workers in mining, banking and insurance, among other sectors, were on strike.

Umesh Das, deputy general secretary of Bank of India Employees Union, Jharkhand, said that banking services remained affected in all banks, excluding the State Bank of India and private banks.

In Ranchi, different trade unions and workers from various political parties such as Left, JMM, Congress and RJD jointly took out two rallies in the state capital in support of their 17-point charter of demands, including the repeal of the four labour codes.

The rallies were taken out from Sainik Market and Kutchery and they culminated in a public meeting at Albert Ekka Chowk.

"The four labour codes were made to exploit workers by weakening their protections and reducing social security benefits," All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) Jharkhand unit general secretary Suvendu Sen said.

However, the impact of the strike was not witnessed in the streets and markets of the state capital. Public transport was also remained unaffected.

In Hazaribag, bandh supporters blocked the Zila Parishad Chowk connecting with NH-33 for some time, but it was later cleared by the police.

The union leaders claimed coal production was badly affected in Charhi area. The Hazaribag administration, however, claimed there was no impact of the strike on coal production.

The strike supporters also blocked roads in several places in Palamu district.

CPI state secretary Mahendra Pathak said the strike was called to oppose the central government's "anti-worker policies".

"Our demands include doing away with the four labour codes, contractualisation, privatisation of PSUs, increasing minimum wages among others," he said.

Bengal registers sporadic violence

Reports of violence were received from various pockets of West Bengal after Left-wing activists, supporting a countrywide general strike called by 10 central trade unions on Wednesday, clashed with police and TMC supporters in multiple districts, even as additional security forces were deployed to ensure normal life.

The strike was called against "liberalisation, price rise of essentials, joblessness, increase in contractual work and other issues".

Reinforcing its stand of zero-tolerance towards bandhs, the West Bengal police came down heavily on strike supporters, forcefully removing them from spaces where they attempted disruption of public life.

Despite those measures, strike sponsors blocked roads and railway tracks in various parts of the state and tried to force a shutdown of shops and establishments in some pockets in their efforts to enforce the strike which evoked partial response in the state.

Banking services, in both public and private sectors, were largely affected across Bengal.

DYFI and CPI(M) workers scuffled with police in Ganguly Bagan area in south Kolkata as they tried to block the thoroughfare, holding rush hour traffic to ransom, and threatened shopkeepers to down shutters. The protestors also burnt effigies and set alight tyres posing risk of a roadside fire, which the police quickly doused.

Police detained some strike supporters, including SFI leader Srijan Bhattacharya, who alleged that police used force to remove them when they were holding peaceful protests.

"The Mamata Banerjee police has sold itself to the TMC which, in turn, has sold its soul to the BJP. This strike was called against BJP's policies and look how the TMC government launched its crackdown on us. They won't even allow us to hold a peaceful rally in support of the strike," Bhattacharya alleged.

AICCTU members stage protest

Meghalaya-Assam tourist taxi services suspended

Tourist taxi services between Assam and Meghalaya were suspended on Wednesday as part of a nationwide 'chakka jam' called by central trade unions and national federations.

The All Khasi Meghalaya Tourist Taxi Association (AKMTTA) had earlier announced that no tourist taxi will operate from Meghalaya to Guwahati or any other part of Assam on July 9 in support of the nationwide strike.

The 24-hour strike is aimed at pressing several key demands affecting transport workers nationwide. These include withdrawal of the Motor Vehicle Reforms Act 2019, scrapping of the 'Hit and Run' clause under Article 106(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), an immediate halt to satellite-based toll collection, and protection of transport workers' rights, the association said.

Other demands include an end to excessive fines, simplified pollution certificate rules, and provision of basic amenities for transport workers on highways.

In a statement, AKMTTA said its counterparts in Assam had informed them about strict enforcement of the strike.

In view of safety concerns, all affiliated taxi groups in Meghalaya have decided to suspend trips to Assam for the day, it said.

The association also urged taxi drivers not to overcharge passengers during the disruption, especially for short-distance trips to Jorabat along the interstate border and called for ethical conduct.

"We deeply regret the inconvenience caused by this unavoidable disruption and request the public's understanding and cooperation," it said.

Normal taxi services are expected to resume on Thursday, it added. 

Strike by trade unions, drivers disrupts vehicular movement in Odisha

Vehicular movement in different parts of Odisha including in the capital city of Bhubaneswar has been affected on Wednesday due to strike by trade unions and drivers' associations.

Opposition Congress and Biju Janata Dal (BJD) have extended their support to the protest of trade unions.

Similarly, the drivers of different transportation vehicles including buses, taxis, and trucks have resorted to the cease work protest since Tuesday morning demanding welfare measures for the drivers in the state.

The protestors staged demonstrations in different places and blocked several roads including national highways in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Bargarh, Bhadrak, Balasore, Bolangir, and Sambalpur.

Due to the protest by trade unions and thousands of drivers, vehicular movement has been severely affected in the state, said a police officer. A large number of vehicles standing on both sides of major roads and NHs as the protestors are picketing on the roads. The protesters were also seen staging a protest blocking the railway tracks in Bhubaneswar station.

The commuters have remained stranded in the bus stands across the state. Several central government offices, banks, business establishments and educational institutions are also partially affected in some places including Rayagada, Berhampur, Nabarangpur, and Gajapati districts, police said.

Fuel stations in Bhubaneswar remained closed as the trade union members picketed before the petrol pumps.

However, the offices and educational institutions are functioning normally in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack and some other cities, they said.

Trade union leader Sura Jena, who was leading a protest near the railway station here, alleged that the Narendra Modi-led central government is exploiting the labourers of the country by imposing the Labour Codes.

"The central government is privatising central PSUs, airports and other public properties one after another and failed to control inflation and unemployment, which is at its peak," he said.