NEW DELHI: Thursday’s nationwide strike was “an overwhelming success,” with nearly 30 crore people from across industries taking part, according to the unions that called for the action. Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya told Parliament that the bandh demonstrated public support for Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Amarjeet Kaur, General Secretary of the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), told TNIE, “The response has been very good, far greater than expected. It was a total bandh in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Odisha, Puducherry, West Bengal and Punjab.”
Rajan Kshirsagar, President of the All India Kisan Sabha, said, “Over one crore farmers from across the country took part. The trade pact with the US will be devastating for farmers. Those in Kashmir, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, who grow apples and tree nuts such as walnuts and almonds, will suffer heavy losses. Import duties have been reduced to zero on products from US farmers, who are heavily subsidised. It will become cheaper to buy these imports than home-grown produce. Simultaneously, export duties on cotton, edible oils (soya products) and cattle feed have been fixed at 18 percent, which will cripple exporters.”
Bank Employees Join Strike
Venkatachallam, General Secretary of the All India Bank Employees Association, said, “We had strong participation from bank employees. Staff in 12 government banks and several private banks took part. While managers were present, other transactions, including cheque clearances, could not take place as staff were absent. We are striking because the new Labour Codes will affect union formation. Also, converting permanent jobs to fixed-term positions will harm young employees. What will they do after four or five years if they are removed from service?”
Participating government banks included Indian Bank, Canara Bank, Bank of India, Bank of Baroda, Central Bank of India, Union Bank of India, Punjab National Bank, and Punjab & Sind Bank. Private banks involved included Federal Bank, Karur Vysya Bank, CSB Bank, RBS Bank, and Karnataka Bank.
Labour Minister Mandaviya defended the Labour Codes in Parliament, stating, “The Labour Codes guarantee minimum wages with statutory backing. No state can offer wages below what we fix. Equal pay is guaranteed to both women and men under the Labour Code.” He added that the strong response from the public demonstrated support for the Government and Prime Minister Modi.