West Bengal, Kerala, UP worst hit as trade unions go on strike

www.mangaloretoday.com

New Delhi, September 2, 2016: The Left-affiliated central trade unions began their nationwide strike to protest against ‘anti-labour policies’ of the government. Essential services, including transport and banking, are likely to be hit in several states as central trade unions have rejected the government’s appeal and decided to enforce a strike on Friday.

RSS-affiliated Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), however, has decided not to join the strike as it believes that the government has accepted its demands.

The strike has been called by central trade unions such as Congress’s INTUC, and Left’s CITU and AITUC. Essential services such as banking, public transport and telecom will be hit. Commuters will have a tough time as many autorickshaw unions in big cities such as Delhi, Bengaluru and Hyderabad have decided to keep off the roads on Friday. Chakka jam has been planned in 11 states including Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka.

The CPI-M, through its Twitter handle, announces that the strike began at midnight itself in the coal mines of Madhya Pradesh, docks of Kochi, industrial belt of Gurgaon/Manesar etc.

The strike is in full force in Kerala where a Left government is in power.There were clashes between the CPM and TMC workers during Trade Union Strike in Madhyamgram, North 24 Parganas in West Bengal. As strike hits the normal life of Bengaluru, schools and colleges remain shut as a precautionary measure.

The unions have opposed the government’s proposal to hike minimum wage for unskilled workers by up to 20 per cent to Rs 12,000 per month for Tier-I cities, saying it should be more in view of price rise. The unions are demanding social security for workers and a minimum wage of not less than 18,000 per month. They also want an assured enhanced pension of not less than 3,000 per month for all sectors, including unorganised workers. They also want FDI to be removed from railways, defence and other “strategic sectors”.