More than 20 crore workers, employees and rural labour came out in massive protest action all over the country on the first day of the 2-day strike today.
The strike call has been given by the Joint Platform of Ten Central Trade Unions (INTUC, AITUC, HMS, CITU, AIUTUC, TUCC, SEWA, AICCTU, LPF, UTUC) and Independent Sectoral Federations/Associations.
In Maharashtra NTUI TUCI Shramik Ekta Mahasangh joined the strike.
Trade Union Joint Action Committee Co-Convenor Vishwas Utagi said the workers and employees in banks, insurance companies did not enter their workplaces anywhere in India.
The coal, steel, post, oil, copper, telecom sector workers struck on the morning of 28th March. Electricity Workers went on strike in all the states, including in Maharashtra, where the Government had invoked MESMA.
The Kerala state unions began strike action from midnight of 27-28 March itself.
The employees of the Railways and Defence sector are reported to have organized demonstrations at more than one thousand places across the country.
The Anganwadi, ASHA, Mid-day Meal and Domestic Workers, Construction, Beedi and Agricultural Workers, Hawkers-vendors are participating in protest actions in several hundreds of spots in Chakka jam, road roko, rail roko programmes in various parts of the country. The Road Transport workers in Haryana began their strike by picketing at Depots from the early morning of 28th March, also in defiance of ESMA.
There is bandh like situation in the states of Tamilnadu, Kerala, Puducherry, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Odisha, Assam, Haryana, Jharkhand.
The strike is substantial in the industrial areas in the states of Goa, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Punjab, Bihar, Rajasthan, West Bengal, Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh. The Security Workers even in Sikkim have gone on strike. The Industrial areas of Delhi, HP, Gujarat, J&K, are reported on strike.
50000 Government employees picketed Central Government offices in 300 places in Tamilnadu. Income Tax department employees too have joined the strike.
Even Fishermen did not venture into the sea in the morning.
The Farmers have mobilized in rural areas as per the decision of the Sanyukt Kisan Morcha, in favour of the Strike action, pressing for their six demands, along with the support for Workers' demands.
In Maharashtra, TUJAC organised collective demonstrations at all 36 districts headquarters at collector offices and almost 400 taluka places huge protest actions and 12 point demand letters were handed over to collectors.
At Azaad Maidan Mumbai Bank employees and officers took out a huge rally under the banner of AIBEA AIBOA and BEFI against Govt decision to sell out IDBI CBI and IOB apart from the IPO of LIC.
At 25 locations in Mumbai, there were huge protest actions notably Mankhurd Bhandup Kanjur Marg Saki Naka and all railway stations in suburban Mumbai. Panvel Uran and Thane witnessed massive demonstrations.
Almost 3 lakh Anganwadi and Asha workers in Maharashtra went on strike and were on the streets to protest against the central Govt.
Utagi said Banks and public sector unions will observe their second day strike. He added that there will be a centralised demonstration on March 29 at Bharat Mata Lalbag at 11 am.
