New Delhi: The day-long rural India bandh, industrial and sectoral strike called by Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) and different trade unions against Centre's "anti-farmer and anti-people" policies on Friday evoked responses from far and wide.
"The call of mass mobilisation all over India along with industrial and sectoral strike and 'grameen' bandh received immense response. The reports are pouring in from all states. The nation witnessed rural India in action against the anti-farmer, anti-workers, anti-agricultural, anti-public sector policies of the government working to the advantage of corporates of Indian and foreign brands," the central trade unions said.
They said that the coal sector, road transport, National Mineral Development Corporation, Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited and several major industrial areas went on strike.
"The state government employees in many states were in action including strikes in some of them. Those in the banking and insurance, electricity, telecom, steel, copper and oil sector among others, organised protests at work places as well as participated in the joint processions and meetings," they claimed.
The railway unions organised demonstrations outside railway stations in several places and defense employees mobilised at factory gates, they said. "Students and teachers extended support and were part of mobilisation in several states. The taxi and auto drivers in many states took to the streets for demonstrations in support of the action," the trade union bodies including INTUC, CITU, AITUC, HMS among others have said.
Talking to ETV Bharat, Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) general secretary Tapan Sen said as per the initial reports, coal workers in almost all the units of Coal India Limited went on a massive strike, which was so intense that even dispatch and transportation of coal from the pitheads totally collapsed.
He said that BSNL employees across the country, in almost all the circles, massively participated in the strike.
"Cargo-handling operations in almost all the major ports of the country including Kolkata, Paradip, Tuticorin, Visakahpatnam and Chennai got severely affected owing to massive strike action by the workers including the contract workers. Workers in several minor ports including Bhavnagar port in Gujarat were on strike. In the public sector oil refineries and marketing establishments in the north-eastern region of the country spreading over Assam, Nagaland and Manipur were virtually closed owing to massive strike action of workers with the dominant role of contract workers in particular," Sen said.
The SKM’s rural India strike was in continuation of the demands for Minimum Support Price (MSP) with guaranteed procurement, debt waiver, repeal Electricity (amendment) Bill 2022 and no to prepaid meters, and dismiss and prosecute Union Minister Ajay Mishra Teni, the "main conspirator" of Lakhimpur Kheri massacre of farmers among others.
The SKM further that it has also decided to intensify agitation with multiple calls for massive actions in coordination with workers and all other sections of the people.“
"The SKM Punjab unit is meeting on February 18 at Jalandhar and it will be followed by the meetings of NCC and General Body at New Delhi to take stock of developments and suggest future course of action," the SKM said.
