Mixed response to Left Trade Unions strike

{image-Trade unions strike_20082008.jpg news.oneindia.in}New Delhi, Aug 20: The countrywide bandh called by the seven Left-wing Central Trade Unions against the government's refusal to accept their six-point demands and 'aggressive anti-people economic policies' evoked a mixed response here on Wednesday, Aug 20.

Seven flights from Delhi were cancelled while the train services remained normal. With the employees of the public sector banks and airport extending their support to the bandh called by the Left trade unions, including CPI-M affiliated Centre for Indian Trade Unions (CITU), several public sector banks were closed. Arun Arora of the GMR group said the maximum impact was witnessed on the flights between Delhi and Kolkata since Kolkata airport was totally closed owing to the strike.

Consequently, several flights between the two cities were cancelled. ''The main impact of the strike by airport employees is on flights to Kolkata since operations at the Kolkata airport have closed down completely due to the strike. However, flights to other destinations are not likely to be affected since airports like Delhi and Mumbai are under private operations,'' Mr Arora said.

Also, many public sector banks, barring the SBI and the Reserve Bank of India, remained closed in response to the strike. The trains in the Delhi region, however, operated normally, a spokesperson for the Northern Railway said. Employees of various sectors, including telecom, railways, defence, banks, insurance, various public sectors besides the state and central government employees have declared their support to Left-supported bandh.

The six-point demands included containing unprecedented price rise, widening economic disparity, falling real wages and mass-scale violation of the labour laws, rising unemployment and increasing atrocities on labour.

The bandh call has been given by the Sponsoring Committee of Trade Unions comprising AITUC, CITU, HMS, AIUTUC, AICCTU, UTUC and TUCC.

Labour leaders say that at least 10 crore employees and workers from the unorganised sectors will participate in the massive demonstrations, rallies, picketing and road blockades across the country.

The sponsoring committee, the apex body of trade unions, has made elaborate plans to make the strike successful. Apart from issues like inflation and privatisation, the trade unions will also highlight the Indo-US nuclear deal and disparity in the sixth Pay Commission package.

UNI