Normal life was disrupted in Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh due to the nationwide strike called by the Central trade unions in support of their various demands including steps to control price rise and strict enforcement of labour laws.

The impact of the strike was felt on public transport services as majority of state owned buses plying on inter-state routes in Punjab and Haryana remained off the roads.

“We are not seeing arrival of buses from Punjab and Haryana (operating on inter-state routes),” said Director, Transport, Chandigarh Transport Undertaking T P S Phoolka.

However, he said CTU buses were plying normally in Chandigarh.

Punjab Transport Secretary Mandeep Singh said district administration would have to ensure that public transport services are not hampered in any part of the state.

With the strike call threatening to cast its shadow on medical services, Post Graduate Institute of Medical, Education and Research (PGIMER) said that a contingency plan had been put in place to prevent any adverse impact of the nationwide strike.

About 2,000 contractual labourers and safai karamcharis of the hospital have threatened to observe strike.

PGI authorities said they had asked their permanent staff to perform duties of striking workers in order to prevent any disruption in medical services.

We have asked our permanent staff to perform duties of striking workers. We have also warned them (striking employees) that no work no pay rule shall be implemented in case they join strike,” PGIMER, spokesperson Manju Wadwalkar said.

Banking services in public sector banks will also be hit as bank employees including officers are also observing a two-day strike in protest against banking reforms, outsourcing etc.

“Employees of all public sector banks as well as old private banks will observe strike and banking transactions will be impacted,” said Naresh Gaur, Secretary, Punjab Bank Employees Federation.

Protesting employees have planned to hold demonstrations and rallies across Punjab and Haryana to press their demands.

Meanwhile, medium and large industries in Punjab and Haryana have expressed fears of production loss because of the two-day strike.

“There may be loss of production…(though) we will try to continue our production lines. But it will depend how many workers come during the strike,” Director of Hero Cycles S K Rai had said on Tuesday.

Punjab has about 1.70 lakh small scale units while Haryana has 1212 large and medium industries.

Toughening its stance against protesting employees, Chandigarh Administration had asked workers of electricity department not to observe two-day strike on the call given by the Central Trade Unions.

Advising employees to stay away from the strike, the Chandigarh Administration warned that in case of workers going on strike, the principle of ‘No work No Pay’ shall be implemented.

CITU Punjab General Secretary Raghunath Singh said workers would not allow functioning of factories, brick kiln units, public transport, electricity, trucks, saying that workers would not join their duties.

The unions are demanding urgent steps to control price rise, strict enforcement of labour laws in all places of work, social security net for workers in the unorganised sector, end to disinvestment in PSUs and raising minimum wage to Rs 10,000.

Strike has little impact in West Bengal

There was little impact of the strike in West Bengal with situation being normal and peaceful across the state.

Shops and markets were mostly open in the metropolis.

Private buses and taxis were less, though state buses were present in large number on the roads, police sources said.

Barring blockades at Hasnabad and Diamond sections of the Eastern Railway, train services were normal in Howrah and Sealdah divisions, the sources said.

Flight schedule was also normal at the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport.

Commissioner of Kolkata Police Surajit Karpurakayastha was on the roads in the morning to review security.

“Everything is absolutely normal,” he said.

ADG (law and order) Banibrata Basu said no untoward incident was reported from anywhere.

The West Bengal government has issued a warning to employees against being absent during the strike.

The state government has also asked shops and markets to remain open or face administrative action, including cancellation of trade licence.

CITU leaders have criticised the state government for this saying that it was undemocratic and illegal.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has said that her administration would ensure that life was normal and there would be no shutdown in the state.

She has also said that the government would pay in case of damage caused during the strike.

Strike hits normal life in Kerala

In Kerala, workers from varied sectors, including transport and banking, staying away from work protests the UPA government’s economic and labour policies.

Early reports said buses and taxis were off the roads and shops and restaurants remained closed.

Train services were not affected.

The Congress-led UDF government has declared ‘dies non’ (no work, no pay) as pro-Left service and teachers unions are also striking work.

Security has been tightened and no violence has been reported from anywhere.

Police have offered protection to those willing to work and public conveyances ready to ply, police sources said.

Emergency services like health care, milk supply and media have been exempted from the strike, AITUC leader Kanam Rajendran said.

The unions have put forward a charter of 10 demands such as urgent steps to control price rise, strict enforcement of labour laws in all places of work, social security net for workers in the unorganised sector, end to disinvestment in PSUs and raising minimum wage to Rs 10,000 a month.

Apart from unions owing allegiance to the Left, the pro-Congress INTUC and pro-BJP BMS are also participating in the strike.

However, pro-UDF government service and teachers unions have not joined the strike.