Majority of nationalised banks
employees and more than half of private bank staff have joined the nation-wide
strike against the proposed amendments to various labour legislations today.
Live updates
Puducherry:
-Around 1,000 persons were arrested
and taken into custody by police personnel.
-Most of traders, shop keepers and
commercial establishments downed the shutters in spite of the call given by the
traders’ federation against the closure of shops. Several banks and schools and
educational institutions in the city remained closed. More...
West Bengal:
-Clashes between supporters of Left
parties and ruling Trinamool Congress activists marred the all-India general
strike called by the trade unions here on Wednesday, which affected normal life
in West Bengal.
-Train services, both on the Eastern
Railway and the South Eastern Railway, were hit.
-Violence erupted in several parts
as supporters of Left parties, and Trinamool Congress clashed. More...
Bengaluru:
- Services at Majestic set to resume
by 4 pm. Buses have started leaving for the airport from Majestic.
- Around 15 Volvo buses and BMTC
buses were damaged in stone pelting incidents in and around the city following
which bus services have been completely withdrawn.
- Incidents of stone pelting
reported on Mysore Road.
- Bus stands in Majestic satellite
and Shanti Nagar wear a deserted look.
- Patient inflow in hospitals very
low. The resident doctors' strike has crippled health services in
BMCRI-affiliated hospitals, reports Afshan Yasmeen.
- Protestors have heated arguments
with police in K.R. Puram. Protesters shout slogans, hurl abuses at moving
vehicles and ask them to support the bandh.
- No buses have left from Majestic
bus depot. Services are expected to resume by 3 p.m. More
Chennai:
- The crew of Metropolitan Transport
Corporation (MTC) will be supporting the strike, but government sources say
regular services will not be affected. Trains will run as usual and schools
will remain open.
- C.H. Venkatachalam, general
secretary of All India Bank Employees’ Association (AIBEA), says nearly 15,000
employees of various banks in the city will join the strike. More..
Delhi:
- A large number of autos and taxis
remain off the roads.
- Bandh remains largely peaceful,
there are reports of auto-drivers groups vandalising auto-rickshaws plying on
the streets despite call for strike. Many commuters also complain of the
auto-rickshaws charging double then the usual fare from them. More..
Normal life partially affected in
West Bengal
- Train services of South Eastern
railway were normal although Eastern railway officials said suburban services
in the Sealdah south section were hit for sometime in the morning due to
blockade at some places.
- Shops, markets and business
establishments in most areas remain closed.
Strike cripples life in Kerala
- The nation-wide 24-hour strike
called by major Central trade unions, barring BMS, is total in Kerala.
- All operations at the Cochin Port
were also hit. Most of the IT firms in Technopark and Infopark reported very
thin attendance.
- All examinations that were to be
held on Wednesday have been postponed by the various state universities.
- The strike has hit the functioning
of educational institutions, banks, government offices, industrial and
commercial establishments, including software technology parks, and hit road
traffic across the State. More..
Stir cripples financial services in
Prakasam
- Employees from public sector banks
and insurance companies abstained from work to press their 10-point charter of
demands including ending disinvestment in public sector units.
- The strike also affected civic
services as municipal workers abstained from . More..
Top Developments:
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1
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13 lakh employees from the public,
private and foreign banks are joining the nationwide strike called by trade
unions to protest the “anti-labour” policies of the Narendra Modi government.
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2
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“Around 13 lakh employees and
officers from 25 public sector banks, 11 private sector banks and nine
foreign banks will be on strike tomorrow,” All-India Bank Employees
Association (AIBEA) said.
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3
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Besides these banks, employees
from 56 regional rural banks, 650 cooperative banks, the Reserve Bank, Nabard
and Sidbi will also be on strike.
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4
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In all, 14 unions representing
bank employees and officers will be supporting the day-long stir called by 10
Central trade unions.
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5
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Bank unions are also protesting
against the government’s plan to revamp the working of the public sector
banks. “We will fight against the government’s backdoor attempts to hand over
public sector to corporates,” they said.
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6
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The trade unions have given the
strike call over a 12-point charter of demands, including withdrawal of the
proposed “anti-worker” amendments in labour laws and stopping the
disinvestment and privatisation of PSUs.
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7
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10 Central unions claim to have a
combined membership of 15 crore workers
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8
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Several outfits representing
informal sector workers have also supported the shutdown.
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9
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Union Labour Minister Bandaru
Dattatreya, however, said in New Delhi that he expects the impact to be
minimal. “I don’t think essential services will be affected by the strike. I
feel that the impact will not be much.”
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10
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Union leaders, however, said the
strike will affect the functioning of essential services like banking,
transport and supply of power, gas and oil.
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