Apart from Tamil Nadu, where buses were spotted on the road, other places like West Bengal and Delhi have been impacted by the nationwide bandh, with only app-based autos and cabs plying.
New Delhi: Around 15 crore workers are on a strike all over the country on Wednesday and essential services like banking and public transport have been affected in some places as 10 major trade unions have called for a one-day ‘Bharat bandh.’
According to reports, West Bengal had an early impact, with clashes between the opposition Left, which supported the bandh and the ruling Trinamool.
A woman was injured in a police lathi-charge and some trains were stopped by protestors. There are a few private buses and taxis on the roads in Kolkata and many schools are closed. Most factories in Howrah are closed too.
In Delhi, autorickshaw unions said they have joined the strike. However, app-based, radio cabs could only be seen on the streets.
A minor incident of clash between striking and non-striking auto drivers reported from the national capital.
The bandh call had no impact in Tamil Nadu, where buses are running normally.
The trade unions have called the Bharat bandh to press a 12-point charter of demands that includes the withdrawal of proposed changes in labour laws and stopping the disinvestment and privatisation of Public Sector Undertakings or PSUs.
While these 10 unions claimed to have a combined membership of 15 crore workers in public and private sector, including banks and insurance companies, several outfits representing informal sector workers also on Wednesday announced their support.