By Anurjay Dhal
BHUBANESWAR: Normal life was on Wednesday partially affected in Odisha in view of a nationwide shut down call given by the Central Trade Unions. Workers of various Trade Unions like AIUTUC, CITU, AITUC and Hind Mazdoor Sabha staged demonstrations and halted train services at several places in the State.
Odisha Government has beefed up security in view of a nationwide shut down call given by Central Trade Unions.“Additional forces have been mobilised and close watch on the shut down,” a top Police official said in Bhubaneswar. Schools and Colleges remained close while train and vehicular movements also hit.
The State Government had advised employees of departments functioning in Lok Seva Bhawan, Kharavela Bhawan, Rajiv Bhawan and Heads of Department Building to reach office by 9:30 am tomorrow in view of the nationwide strike call given by central trade unions.
In a letter to Secretaries, Special secretary (Home department) Santosh Bala said front gates of Lok Seva Bhawan will be closed at 10:15 am tomorrow and all the passage will be regulated through the rear gate. This apart, the connecting gate between Red Building and Main Lok Seva Bhawan building will remain open.
It is apprehended that protestors might stop vehicular traffic, rail traffic and close down business establishments and picket before government offices, banks and educational institutions, the letter read.
Security check of identity card and passes of employees of the Lok Seva Bhawan and visitors will be intensified. Travelling in a vehicle having car pass will not be permitted without valid authority for entry, he said in the letter.
The district administration of ten districts in the State today declared holiday for Wednesday in view of a nationwide strike call given by central trade unions.
Acting as per the directive of District Collectors, the District Education Officers (DEOs) of Kandhamal, Ganjam, Khordha, Bhadrak, Dhenkanal, Gajapati, Rayagada, Jagatsinghpur, Sundergarh and Mayurbhanj districts have announced that schools will remain closed tomorrow.
BJD has kept itself away from the Bharat Bandh call whereas Congress has extended its support to the strike.
Central trade unions like AIUTUC, CITU, AITUC and Hind Mazdoor Sabha will stage a nationwide strike tomorrow to protest against the ‘anti-labour’ policies of the Centre.
Meanwhile, the Central Region Urban Transport (CRUT) has announced that Mo Bus will ply as per usual schedule tomorrow.
Banking services at public sector banks are likely to be hit on Wednesday due to a nationwide strike called by 10 central trade unions.
Most of the lenders have already informed stock exchanges about the January 8 strike and its impact on banking services. Various bank employee associations, including AIBEA, All India Bank Officers’ Association (AIBOA), BEFI, INBEF, INBOC and Bank Karmachari Sena Mahasangh (BKSM), have expressed their willingness to participate in the strike.
Banking services like deposit and withdrawal, cheque clearing and instrument issuance are expected to be impacted due to the strike. However, services at private sector banks are unlikely to be impacted.
Nearly 25 crore people are likely to take part in an all-India strike on Wednesday to protest against the government’s “anti-people” policies. Trade unions INTUC, AITUC, HMS, CITU, AIUTUC, TUCC, SEWA, AICCTU, LPF, UTUC along with various sectoral independent federations and associations had adopted a declaration in September last to go on a nationwide strike on January 8, 2020.
“The Ministry of Labour has failed to assure on any of the demands of workers which called a meeting on January 2, 2020. The attitude of the government is that of contempt towards labour as we construe from its policies and actions,” the 10 CTUs said in a joint statement.
“We expect participation of not less than 25 crore of working people in the forthcoming National General Strike on January 8, 2020, to be followed by many more actions seeking reversal of the anti-worker, anti people, anti-national policies of the Government,” it said.
