Trade unions strike total, peaceful

Tirupati: The general strike called by the central trade unions to achieve their charter of 12 demands was near total and peaceful in the pilgrim city on Friday.

The local associations and also teachers, traders, auto-rickshaw workers, building workers, university employees and others supported the strike. The shops, commercial establishments, hotels, petrol bunks, school and colleges were closed.

However some government offices functioned normally with less staff. People were put to lot of inconvenience with the auto-rickshaws, the main mode of public transport, here remained off with the auto workers union affiliated to AITUC joining the general strike while in some places where the autos plied charged abnormally, taking advantage of the strike.

Sanitation works came to standstill in the city with the health workers in the corporation struck work and heaps of garbage where seen everywhere in the pilgrim city.

However, the APSRTC was able to operate its bus services. Regional Manager Nagasivudu told The Hans India over phone that they have operated 98 per cent of the bus services. Banking and LIC operations were hit with the employees joining the nationwide strike.

A joint procession by the trade unions including CITU, AITUC, INTUC and other unions which spearheaded the stir, was taken out in the city which culminated in a meeting at Nalugukalla Mandapam Junction.

CPI State secretariat member P Haranatha Reddy, AITUC district president P Murali, secretary Harikrishna, CITU leaders addressed the meeting in which they in one voice flayed the NDA government for its unilateral decision affecting the employees and workers and also indiscriminate disinvestment in public sector units and allowing foreign direct investments. The NDA government is turning more and more pro-corporate and pro-rich leaving the poor into lurch, they said.

General strike evokes good responseChittoor: All-India strike call given by central trade unions on Friday evoked good response and passed off peacefully in the district without any untoward incidents. In Chittoor, leaders of trade unions and political parties organised a procession, protesting against the anti-labour policies of the Central and State governments.

Employees of public and private sectors also joined the procession and raised slogans against the Centre and State. Later, they staged a protest at the Gandhi Statue.

Addressing the gathering, AITUC district president P Chaitanya said that employees of the Central and State governments took part in the one-day strike.

He alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and AP Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu were suppressing the rights of the labourers and employees. He slammed the TDP and NDA governments for trying to privatise public sector companies.

He expressed anguish over the plight of contract, part-time and outsourcing employees, who were leading miserable lives while working in public sector units without job security.

The Central and the State governments were not bothered about the welfare of employees as they are not insisting managements to comply with the labour laws,” he added.

Normal life was not disrupted as agitators were confined to protests. The RTC buses ran as usual and private schools have functioned normally. The CPI leaders Nagaraj, Mani and others spoke. Later, the leaders submitted a memorandum to District Collector Siddharth Jain.

Mixed response to bandhNellore: One-day nationwide strike by central trade unions evoked a mixed response in the district. Commercial establishments, government and private organisations worked normally and banking operations affected partially due to staff taking part in the strike.

No untoward incidents were reported in the district. Transport services were hit partially as RTC ran limited number of buses as RTC workers participated in the strike. Educational institutions, shops and hotels have functioned normally.

Trade unions organised a huge procession from Atmakur Bus Stand to Gandhi Statue on Friday. YSR Congress Party city legislator Dr P Anil Kumar Yadav participated in the public meeting and expressed solidarity to the stir. He made an appeal to the Central government to consider demands of trade unions.

Leaders of AITUC, CITU and other unions staged a protest in front of the RTC Complex. CITU Rural secretary Madala Venkateswarlu has criticised the Central government for adopting anti-worker policies. Trade unions in all mandal headquarters also organised rallies as part of strike.