Central trade unions’ nationwide strike | Life hit in parts of Bengal, Kerala

Unions’ strike partially impacts banking services; stir in Visakhapatnam opposing steel plant sale

Central trade unions on March 28 began a two-day nationwide strike to protest against the Government’s alleged wrong policies that are affecting farmers, workers and people.

Their demands include the scrapping of the labour codes, no privatisation of any form, scrapping of the National Monetisation Pipeline (NMP), increased allocation of wages under MNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee Act) and regularisation of contract workers among others.

The central trade unions that are part of this joint forum are INTUC, AITUC, HMS, CITU, AIUTUC, TUCC, SEWA, AICCTU, LPF and UTUC.. About 20 crore workers are expected to join the strike. The strike notices have been given by the unions in various sectors, such as coal, steel, oil, telecom, postal, income tax, copper, banks, and insurance, among others.

The unions in railways and defence sector are making mass mobilisation in support of the strike at several hundred spots, the joint forum had said earlier. Taking cognisance of the call, the Ministry of Power on Sunday had issued an advisory to States and other agencies to be on high alert and ensure round the clock electricity supply and stability of the national grid. 

Trade unions in Telangana raise unified voice against the Centre’s “anti-worker” policies

Raising a unified voice against the Centre’s “anti-worker” policies, members of various trade unions staged sit-in demonstrations at multiple locations in the State’s coal belt region as the 48-hour nationwide strike called by the joint forum of central trade unions began this morning.

Members of the Singareni Collieries Workers’ Union (SCWU), affiliated to the AITUC, staged a demonstration in front of the RK-7 underground coal mine in Srirampur area of Mancherial district this morning.