Nationwide strike paralyzes daily life in India

NEW DELHI (AA): Daily life was paralyzed in some parts of India when trade unions launched two-day nationwide strike on Tuesday to protest the anti-worker policies of government.

Ten Central Trade Unions with some 200 million workers are participating in the strike.

In a statement, Amarjeet Kaur, secretary-general of All India Trade Union Congress, said: “Millions of workers from formal and informal sectors have joined the strike against the policies of the BJP-led central government.”

The Union claimed that the government is wiping out regular employments and payments by unilaterally changing labor laws.

The unions put fort a charter of 12 demands, including minimum wage, universal social security, workers’ status, payment and facilities for the scheme workers.

Banking operations have also been affected in some states as many employees are participating in the strike. All India Bank Employees’ Association (AIBEA) and Bank Employees’ Federation of India (BEFI) have supported the strike.

In Mumbai, over 33,000 employees of Mumbai’s civic transport undertaking BEST have attended the strike. BEST is the second-biggest mode of transport in Mumbai which carries 2.5 million passengers every day.

Clashes were reported from many places in West Bengal between members of the ruling Trinamool Congress and workers of the Community Party Marxist (CPM). The Trinamool Congress government in West Bengal has opposed the 48-hour strike. In some places, educational institutions, including schools, colleges and universities will remain closed for two days due to the nationwide strike.