Strike turns violent in UP, vehicles set on fire in Noida

Lucknow, Feb 20: The two-day nationwide strike called by Central trade unions disrupted normal life in many states on Wednesday leaving commuters in the lurch.

Violence erupted in some places on the first day of a two-day strike as workers, angry about high fuel prices in particular, tried to keep vehicles off the roads.

The strike turned violent in Noida in Uttar Pradesh, adjoining Delhi, after angry workers protested in Noida Phase II. They pelted stones at some factories and burnt vehicles, including a fire engine. The police had to resort to lathicharge to disperse the restive crowd.

The two-day nationwide strike called by trade unions in support of their demands evoked a good response in Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday. Roadways buses remained off roads and bank branches were closed in support of the strike call, adversely affecting normal life since morning.

Reports from different parts of the state said employees of various government departments and banks assembled at their respective offices and held protest meetings raising slogans in support of their demands.

Commuters were left stranded, and overcrowding was reported at railway stations. Following this, the state government pressed 200 buses into service at the Kumbh in Allahabad.

The state government had made alternative arrangements like pressing private buses into service, but these were not enough to clear the office rush and people had to depend either on private vehicles or autorickshaws to reach their destinations.

In the state capital, all the major offices have remained shut with employees also taking out protest marches.

The bandh was total in Meerut, Ghaziabad, Noida, Kanpur, Varanasi, Lucknow, Saharanpur, Unnao, Moradabad and Allahabad.

Major markets in Lucknow like Aminabad and Hazratganj were deserted, and operations at post offices and state-run banks were disrupted.

Banking, transport services hit

Normal banking operations were hit today as employees of public sector banks went on a two-day strike in response to a call given by central trade unions to press for wage hike in the backdrop of rising inflation.

The nationwide strike call has been given by United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), consisting of nine national level unions, including AIBEA, NCBE, BEFI, INBEF, NOBW and AIBOC.

Apprehending disruption in their normal banking operations, many banks had already informed their customers about the proposed strike.

Meanwhile, sources said, banks have taken steps to ensure that public do not face problems at least on the cash front during the strike period.

Banks have fed additional cash in ATMs to meet the cash needs of their customers.

Bank unions are pressing for early wage revision of employees, which they said is due from November 2012. They are also opposing banking sector reforms and any plan for merger of banks.

There are 26 public sector banks with employees strength of around 10 lakh.

In December 2012 also, four bank unions went on strike opposing amendments carried out in Banking Regulation Act and Banking Companies Act, enabling foreign equity in public sector banks.

The bank strike is part of a general strike call given by 11 central trade unions including Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC), All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh ( BMS), Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) and All India United Trade Union Centre.

Trade union leader killed in Ambala

A trade union leader, who was squatting along with a group of workers near the local bus depot as part of the two-day nationwide strike call, on Wednesday died when he was hit by a bus in his bid to stop it from plying, a senior Roadways official said here.

"The incident took place around 4 am this morning when Narender Singh, a bus driver by profession, tried to stop the vehicle which was being taken out from the Ambala Depot despite the strike," district president, Haryana Roadways Workers Union's, Inder Singh Bhadana told reporters here.

Bhadana alleged that the district administration tried to forcibly ply the bus, which hit Singh, who was also the treasurer of a AITUC union, killing him on the spot.

After the incident, the other workers resorted to violence damaging vehicles belonging to the Ambala's Deputy Commissioner of Police and SHO of the Baldev police station area, police said.

Meanwhile, Bhadana demanded a case to be lodged against the General Manager of the Roadways, failing which they will not allow the body to be cremated.

In view of the tense situation, heavy police force had been deployed at the bus depot and its surrounding areas.

Earlier, however, AITUC general secretary Gurudas Dasgupta said that the victim was allegedly stabbed to death by some miscreants.

Financial sector crippled as shutdown starts in Mumbai

India's financial sector was crippled on Wednesday after all banks, insurance companies and commercial establishments in this commercial capital remained shut on the first of the two-day nationwide strike, organisers said.

"The banking and financial sector is 100 percent closed, not only in Mumbai and Maharashtra but all over the country," All India Bank Employees Association vice-president V Utagi told IANS.

Utagi said all banks -- nationalised, private, foreign, regional, rural and cooperative -- had "wholeheartedly" participated in the strike.

Trains, road services hit in Bihar

Thousands of people were stranded across Bihar on Wednesday as trains were stopped and key highways blocked by activists affiliated to various trade unions that have called for a nationwide two-day strike.

Workers of trade unions stopped nearly a dozen passenger and long-distance trains at Patna, Gaya, Jehanabad, Hajipur, Bhagalpur and Darbhanga railway stations.

Strike hits normal life in Kerala

The 48-hour nationwide strike called by central trade unions hit normal life across Kerala today with workers from varied sectors, including transport and banking, staying away from work to protest the UPA government's economic and labour policies.

Early reports said buses and taxis were off the roads and shops and restaurants remained closed. Train services were not affected.

The Congress-led UDF government has declared 'dies non' (no work, no pay) as pro-Left service and teachers unions are also striking work.

Security has been tightened and no violence has been reported from anywhere. Police have offered protection to those willing to work and public conveyances ready to ply, police sources said.

West Bengal partially hit by strike

Life was partially affected in West Bengal on the first day today of the two-day countrywide strike called by central trade unions with the situation remaining peaceful.

Shops, markets and business establishments were closed in many parts of the metropolis, while government run buses and trams ran in large numbers in comparison to private buses and taxis, which were less.

Banking operations remained paralysed in the state. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that attendance at the Writers' Buildings was 100 per cent.

Finance Mitra Amit Mitra also said that his department registered 100 per cent attendance.

Many government employees stayed overnight in their offices.

Partial impact to strike call in Tamil Nadu

The strike call given by 11 trade unions country wide had partial impact in Tamil Nadu as a majority of shops remained open and transport services plied normally.

However, banking services were hit hard as most public and private sector banks remained closed.

The United Form of Bank Unions, an association representing the banking community, had said it would join the strike call given by the Trade Unions.

City buses and auto-rickshaws plied as usual. Partial inter-city services were operated from Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminus, sources said.

Members of agitating workers union including CITU and all India Bank Employees Association staged a demonstration in Chennai as part of the strike call.