Nationwide Strike Impacts Banking, Transportation Services In Many Parts Of Country | Top Developments

Bharat Bandh: However, essential services like healthcare, electricity and fuel supplies remained unaffected

Bharat Bandh: As a large section of bank employees did not report for duty, banking services were partially impacted on Monday as a result of nationwide strike | PTI

New Delhi: The two-day nationwide strike called by the 10 central trade unions against the Centre's policies elicited lukewarm response in most parts of the country even though banking and public transport services were thrown out of gear in states like West Bengal, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

However, essential services like healthcare, electricity and fuel supplies remained unaffected, reported news agency PTI. Public offices and educational institutions, too, were not impacted by the strike. 

The demands of the trade unions include scrapping of the labour codes, no privatisation in any form, scrapping of the National Monetisation Pipeline (NMP), increased allocation of wages under MNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee Act) and regularisation of contract workers.

Here Are Top 10 Developments Of The Nationwide Strike:

1. In cities with strong trade union movement, very limited over-the-counter public dealings such as cash deposits and withdrawals took place. 
2. Coal mining belts in Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh also were impacted by the protests by workers, unions claimed, quoted PTI. “Entire coal belt (mining area) has been affected in Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh,” said Amarjeet Kaur, General Secretary of All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), quoted PTI
3. Normal life in West Bengal experienced some disruption as protestors took to roads and stopped movement of trains at some stations. 
4. The impact of protests was seen in the Eastern India as many branches of public sector banks in the East remained closed. 
5. In Kerala, state road transport buses as well as auto-rickshaws and private buses were off the road. But essential services, including supply of milk, hospital and ambulance services remained unaffected.
6. Public transport services were affected in Haryana also as employees of state roadways joined the strike.
7. Production at steel plants and mines in public sector entities like SAIL, RINL, and NMDC were also affected as many of their workers joined the strike. 
8. As a large section of bank employees did not report for duty, banking services were partially impacted on Monday as a result of nationwide strike. 
9. In Maharashtra, volume data from clearing houses and cash replenishment at Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) was not immediately available, though the striking employees claimed that they had a deep impact.
10. The strike, however, had hardly any impact on the functioning of new generation private sector banks.