The nationwide general strike called by the six left trade unions to demand a review of the Supreme Court’s judgement on the right to strike and to protest the “anti-people” and “pernicious” policies of the National Democratic Alliance government, halted activities in all states affecting life in varying degrees.

The success of the strike can be gauged from the fact that the media reported the strike had a “paralytic effect”. Trade union leaders congratulated the workers for the success of the strike. The president of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), M K Pandhe, told press persons that the working class had “magnificently responded” to the strike call.

S Veeraiah, general secretary of Andhra Pradesh CITU, said that far more sections of workers participated in the strike than on earlier occasions. The strike gained in strength after the state and central government employees too joined, disrupting essential services in a number of places and affecting the economy. Even the forex trade felt the jolt.

Business was adversely affected due to the day-long strike by officers and staff of nationalised banks. The Reserve Bank of India’s clearing operations were disrupted and transaction volumes fell by half as 33 out of the 113 banks refused to participate. The rupee declined by four paise.

According to reports from states, workers staged dharnas, demonstrations and rallies in large numbers on streets and in front of government offices. Though officially the BMS, HMS and the INTUC did not support the strike, their rank and file did participate in some parts of the country.

Near-Total Strike in Southern States

All southern states saw a near-total strike.In Hyderabad, the capital of Andhra Pradesh, the strike was total in state and central government offices and banks. It was partial in telecommunications, road transport, Singareni Collieries, municipal corporations and councils, government hospitals, insurance, postal department and other public sector units all over the state. At several places, workers wore black badges and staged demonstrations.

Reports from districts indicated that the response was good, though not affecting normal life. Business establishments remained open. The government did try to foil the strike and eight CITU leaders were arrested from different parts of the state.

A total bandh was observed in different districts of Karnataka and life came to a nearstandstill with even business establishments, industries and public and private transport observing the strike call. Former Minister S K Kanta, Maruti Manpade, member of the state secretariat, CPI(M) and others led rallies, demanding political parties to include in their manifesto, the reversal of the Supreme Court judgement. About 50, 000 employees of public sector undertakings, banks, insurance companies and private and unorganised sector workers participated in the rallies. Among government offices, the income tax, postal and telegraph offices remained closed. In Doddaballapur, more than 300 anganwadi workers and farmers took out a peaceful procession. In other districts, gold mine and beedi workers also observed total strike.

The strike more or less “crippled” life in Kerala. The general strike called by the Samyukta Trade Union Samithy, a combine of trade unions brought life to a standstill in the state. Industrial units, businesses, banks and markets, all remained closed on account of the strike. Public and even private vehicles were not allowed to ply on the roads. The participation varied from 50 per cent to 78 per cent by the workers and at the state PSUs between 38 per cent and 94 per cent. The Samyukta Trade Union Samithy congratulated the workers for making the strike a success.

Employees’ Union Kerala circle secretary, R N Pata Nayar, said a majority of the 20,000 telecom employees, including members of unions affiliated to the INTUC and the BMS, stayed away from work and took out marches in the districts. Although the INTUC and the BMS had dissociated themselves from the strike, workers owing allegiance to them also appeared to have joined the strike. The CITU state general secretary, P K Gurudasan, termed the strike an “unprecedented success.”

Strike paralysed work in the southern districts of Tamil Nadu. Centre for Indian Trade Unions and All India Trade Union Congress functionaries staged a “road roko” in 14 places in rural Tirunelveli and 1,015 workers, including 290 women, courted arrest.

In other states like Goa and Pondicherry, thousands of workers employed in various sectors and establishments participated in the one-day, nationwide general strike.

Normal Life Affected in West Bengal, Assam

The general strike called by the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) and other leftist central trade unions affected normal life in West Bengal. Almost all industrial activity came to a standstill. Even flight and train operations were affected and some trains were stranded at various stations. “Strike is a tool to voice our protest and so will it be in the future,” said the state CITU president, Shymal Chakraborty.

A large number of agitating workers of the left-affiliated trade unions, including some leaders were arrested from different parts of Assam. Despite the opposition of the Congress-backed INTUC, several tea garden workers joined the strike. Several employees of private sector companies like Assam Carbon, India Carbon, Brahmaputra Jute Mills, North East Tubes, Hindustan Lever at Doomdooma and others also joined.

Workers Come Out to Streets in Northern States

In Bhopal, central and state government employees came onto the streets to make their demands heard. Following a call by the United Forum of Bank Employees, an umbrella organisation of the bank staff more than 5,000 bank employees went on strike. The BHEL factory too was deserted on call given by the CITU- affiliated BHEL Kamgar Trade Union. The Samajwadi Party endorsed the demands of the central and state government employees and accused the BJP-led NDA government of joining hands with big businesses while ignoring the legitimate demands of the citizens. Samajwadi Party members also submitted a memorandum to Collector Sanjiv Shukla demanding immediate redress of employees’ grievances.

In Chandigarh, Ludhiana and Ambala, employees of various departments like electricity, water supply, transport and municipal corporations observed a complete strike.  Employees of the Indian Council for Child Welfare, Housing Board, Central Craft Institute, Government College, Home Science and Health and department took part in the strike as a symbolic action. There were cases of the police resorting to lathicharge in a few places in Punjab, like on the Haryana Roadways’ employees, who were restricting the movement of buses. No injuries were, however, reported. The police detained several employees. In Panipat, four labourers sustained injuries when police lathicharged. In Bhiwani, traffic was blocked for about an hour. In other parts of the state, almost all government offices and public sector undertakings were closed and other services were paralysed.

Teachers of the Delhi University and Jawaharlal Nehru University supported the striking workers. The Municipal Corporation of Delhi staff held a demonstration in front of the Town Hall to express solidarity with the workers. Employees of public sector banks, insurance companies and other public sector undertakings held a joint demonstration in front of the State Bank of India Building on Parliament Street. The gathering was addressed by Gurudas Gupta, General Secretary of the All India Trade Union Congress, who called upon the workers to put up a joint front against the “sinister move” by the government to weaken the workers’ movement by depriving them of their right to strike.