Dear Comrades,
The nation-wide strike called by trade unions, received a mixed
response here with banking and insurance sectors functioning at half its
strength, and transportation remaining unaffected.
According to State Bank of India spokesperson, all the clerical staff
and non-supervisory staff were on strike, while all officers were on
duty.
Due to the strike, banking operations have been affected
across the state and the city, as branches were open but there was
nobody to conduct the transactions.
All central government offices
saw partial attendance with most of the clerical and lower level staff
not turning up. However, top officials remained present in offices.
The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) run buses were operating as per schedule. However, their frequency were reduced in anticipation of violence.
There were protest marches and demonstrations at the Labour Commissioners office in Lal Darwaja area by members of the over 22 trade unions in the city.
Also, number of rallies are scheduled in the city in support of the 24-hour strike later in the day.
All-India strike 'partially' hits operations; most PSU banks remain openOperations
in public sector banks were partially affected due to the day-long
strike called by a section of bank unions to protest against outsourcing
of non-core activities to private sector, among other things.
Most of the PSU bank branches in major cities were open, but the attendance remained thin as majority of clerical staff abstained from work.
Although the PSU bank unions claimed that operations were badly hit with employees going on strike, the managements maintained that only some clerical staff did not report on duty.
The strike by bank employees is part of the one-day all-India general strike, called by major central trade unions.
The bank unions are also protesting against unilateral imposition of Khandelwal
Committee recommendations with regard to human resources issues and
outsourcing of jobs. Their demand also include enactment of stringent
and effective measures to recover bad loans.
State Bank of India's Deputy General Manager R Dipankar Basu
said while branch operations have been partially hit as clerical staff
are not attending office, officers are present in full strength.
When asked about the impact on business, he said it is too early to say anything.
All-India Bank Employees Association convenor CH Venkatachalm,
however, termed the impact of the strike a complete success as clearing
houses remained totally paralysed with unions of Reserve Bank and SBI participating in the strike.
"We thank all the unions for their full participation and making it a grand success," Venkatachalam told PTI over phone from Chennai, in the middle of a protest rally.
Normal life partially hit in AssamNormal services are likely to be affected in Tamil Nadu on Tuesday as eleven major trade union wings are participating in the nation-wide strike call pressing for various demands.
It
is the first time since Independence that trade unions have joined
hands for a strike over a series of issues from the Government's
liberalisation policy.
The government had last week appealed to
the unions to desist from going on strike with Labour Minister
Mallikarjun Kharge saying they were ready to discuss the matter.
Though
Kharge has reportedly said most of the issues concerned were addressed,
he had assured them of sorting out those issues, related to labour.
However, the trade Unions turned down the request.
Eleven
major trade unions including Congress affiliated INTUC, Shiv
Sena-backed Bharatiya Kamgar Sena and UPA ally Indian Union Muslim
League's trade-wing STU, Hind Mazdoor Sabha, Employees Federation of
LIC, DMK's Labour Progressive Front are participating in the
dawn-to-dusk strike.
The strike has been called to register
protest against rising prices of essential commodities and to make
demands including disinvestment of Public Sector Undertakings,
amendments to the Minimum Wages Act and compulsory registration of trade
unions.
http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_live-mixed-response-to-all-india-strike-in-gujarat_1656027
