|
|
 |
 |
 |
| Friday, 23 May 2003 |
 |
|
 |
World | |
| News Business Features Editorial Security Politics World Letters Sports Obituaries
|
India hit by nationwide labour protest NEW DELHI Thursday (AFP) Millions of state employees in India went on strike disrupting rail and air transport and crippling the financial sector to press for a reversal of the government's privatisation programme, trade unions said. The strike was called by workers' groups such as the Centre for Indian Trade Unions (CITU), the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) and the Hind Mazdoor Sabha, which control millions of government employees. Five of the nine major banking unions also joined the day-long action, which also targetted New Delhi's labor policies, trade union leaders said. "The strike is total in states such as Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Kerala, Tripura and West Bengal," CITU secretary Swadesh Dev Roye said in New Delhi. Roye said thousands of workers were also on strike at state-owned industries in states such as Assam, Haryana, Karnataka and Orissa. Sectors such as insurance, coal and mining were hit by the protest but the strikers spared health services, including hospitals and related emergency medical services. The unions have been demanding New Delhi freeze the ongoing privatisation of state undertakings which they argue is resulting in large scale job losses. The strike hit oil production, air services from New Delhi to Calcutta, the capital of Marxist-ruled West Bengal, and industrial production elsewhere in the country, reports said. In some parts of India, the protest jammed pubic transport systems although there were no reports of disruption in the supply of essential items, including milk and water. In the Indian capital, the police arrested a number of union leaders after they staged a noisy rally before the Supreme Court to demand "the right to strike." "The police tore down posters and snatched our banners without warning and it led to a scuffle. We just wanted to remind the court of our fundamental right to strike," AITUC chief Amarjeet Kaur said before her own arrest. Reports of similar rallies and protest marches came in from various part of the country including from the seaside resort of Goa, were labor unrest is rare, officials said. Calcutta was deserted as private cars and government vehicles stayed off the roads but throngs of left wing protesters marched through the streets. |
|
News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security
Produced by Lake House |
