Agartala, September 2 (IANS): A 12-hour country-wide shutdown called by 10 central trade unions on Friday to protest against the NDA government's "anti-labour" policies have crippled life in Tripura.
Shops, business establishments, markets, banks and financial institutions, government offices and educational institutions were closed and vehicles were off the roads.
"No untoward incident was reported from anywhere in the state," police spokesman Uttam Bhowmik said.
Railway services within the state and with other states were disrupted as shutdown supporters organised picketing at the Agartala railway stations and Dharmanagar.
Trade between Tripura and Bangladesh was also affected as the workers remained absent in the land customs stations along Bangladesh.
"The strike was total and successful. People from all walks of life spontaneously supported the strike to denounce the BJP led central government's anti-people labour policies and demanded increase of wages," Centre of Indian Trade Unions' (CITU) Tripura unit President Manik Dey said.
The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) led Left Front Agovernment in Tripura is supportive of the strike, which has been called to press the 12-point charter of demands submitted before the central government by the ten trade unions.
CPI-M affiliated CITU and Congress allied Indian National Trade Union Congress are among those 10 trade unions called the strike.
However, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led trade unions have termed the strike uncalled for and urged the people to reject it.
Public transport, banking services hit in Assam
Guwahati, September 2 (PTI): Services including Banking and public transport were hit in Assam due to the nation-wide strike called by ten central trade unions to protest against "anti-labour" policies of the government.
All nationalised banks, Insurance companies and post offices remained closed while buses remained off the road. In the wake of strike, schools and colleges also remained closed, officials said.
Attendance in government offices and private companies was thin though shops and business establishments remained open.
Train services were affected in parts of the state with several trains remaining stranded or regulated at different places, North East Frontier Railway spokesman said.
Trains are running but behind schedule, the spokesman added.
The impact of the Bandh was total in Barak Valley with banks remaining closed and buses, including long-distance buses, remaining off the roads.
Members of the striking trade union bodies took out protest marches in different parts with the state with the police taking about 500 protesters in preventive custody in Guwahati alone.
No response to strike call in Congress-ruled Mizoram
Aizawl, September 2 (IANS): The nation-wide shutdown called by 10 central trade unions on Friday to protest the NDA government's "anti-labour" policies evoked no response in Congress-ruled Mizoram. Markets, business establishments, banks and financial institutions, government offices and educational institutions functioned as usual in Mizoram on Friday. A police official said there was no effect of the country-wide strike call in the state.
Congress's frontal trade union body Indian National Trade Union Congress was among the 10 trade unions which called the strike to press their 12-point charter of demands.
The demands include increase of rate of daily wages, controlling price rise and assured minimum monthly pension of Rs 3,000, monthly minimum wage of Rs 18,000 and stopping disinvestment in the public sector and foreign direct investment in the railways, defence and insurance sectors and check on inflation.
Twin bandh hits life in Manipur
IMPHAL, September 2 (NNN): Two separate state wide bandhs called by the Coordinating Body of Trade Unions, Manipur (CBTUM) and All Manipur Surrendered Welfare Association, a conglomerate of surrendered militants of six banned underground organizations disrupted normal life in Manipur today. The strike by the state trade unions from 6 am to 6 pm was part of the nationwide bandh call given by the Central Trade Unions (CTUs).
The 65-hour strike by the association of surrendered militants, on the other hand, ends at 3 pm of September 5. The association is putting pressure on the government to see that their long pending demands on welfare policies materialise. Sporadic incidents were reported during the twin strikes with bandh supporters in several parts of the state, including National Highways, obstructing vehicular movement. All major markets, including Khwairamaband Keithel here, were closed. No inter-district and inter-state passenger bus services were operated. Both government and private establishments remained disrupted due to the twin strikes. All educational institutes were closed.
