The banking services, transportation, trains, and power are expected to be impacted by the Bharat Bandh planned by a joint forum of trade unions, which will be joined by banks on March 28 and 29.
A group of key trade unions has called for a Bharat Bandh to protest government policies that harm workers, farmers, and the general public.
After a meeting of the united platform of central trade unions on March 22, the demand for Bharat Bandh was made. The unions launched a two-day all-India strike against the central government’s “anti-worker, anti-farmer, anti-people, and anti-national policies” after taking stock of preparations in various states.
Despite the approaching danger of ESMA, highways, transportation employees, and electrical workers have opted to join the bandh, according to the statement (Haryana and Chandigarh, respectively).
INTUC, AITUC, HMS, CITU, AIUTUC, TUCC, SEWA, AICCTU, LPF, and UTUC have decided to hold a statewide strike on March 28th and 29th to protest the central government’s “anti-worker, anti-farmer, anti-people, and anti-national policies.”
“We are anticipating participation of over 20 crore formal and informal employees with mass mobilisation of workers throughout the nation during the Bharat Bandh on March 28 and 29 to protest against government policies,” said Amarjeet Kaur, General Secretary of the All Indian Trade Union Congress.
She said that the walkout is anticipated to spread to rural areas, where unorganised farm labourers and other employees would join the protest.
The planned modifications to labour legislation, as well as any type of privatisation and the national monetisation pipeline, are among the demands of the unions. Their demands include increased salary allocation under the MNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee Act) and regularisation of contract employees.
Workers from the highways, transportation, and power sectors have also opted to join the strike, despite the possibility of ESMA (Essential Services Maintenance Act) being enforced in Haryana and Chandigarh, according to the joint forum.
Meanwhile, the power ministry issued a warning on Sunday to all state-owned utilities and other organisations to be on high alert in order to maintain continuous energy supply and system stability.
The electricity ministry released an advise saying, “The Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) has called for a statewide strike with effect from 06:00 hours of March 28 to 06:00 hrs of March 30, 2022.”
All states, central public sector undertakings, the central electrical authority, the national load dispatch centre, and regional load dispatch centres have received the advice.
All power utilities should take necessary measures to ensure round-the-clock operation of the electricity grid and availability of all plants, transmission lines, and substations in the interest of electricity consumers, the ministry said, adding that all regional/state control room executives should be vigilant and on high alert.
The government also recommended taking steps to safeguard the grid’s security and reliability.
Shutdown actions scheduled for March 28-29 may be postponed to a more convenient day in the future, it added, and it urged all relevant officials to keep a careful eye on their regional network/control area.
It further said that people could be dispatched 24 hours a day, seven days a week at all major substations and power stations to manage any emergency situation.
It also advised that power be provided to individuals involved in key services such as hospitals, defence, and railways, as well as the establishment of a 24-hour control room for information transmission and contingency management.
The walkout will be supported by bank employees’ unions.
C H Venkatachalam, General Secretary of the All India Bank Employees’ Association (AIBEA), said the union wants the government to quit privatising public sector banks and instead strengthen them. Bank workers also want that bad loans be repaid quickly, that banks offer greater deposit rates, that consumers pay reduced service fees, and that the former pension plan for employees be reinstated.
AIBEA, Bank Employees Federation of India (BEFI), and All India Bank Officers’ Association (AIBOA) have filed warnings to strike on March 28-29, according to the New Delhi-based Punjab National Bank (PNB).
Workers’ unions from a variety of industries, including coal, steel, oil, telecom, postal, income tax, copper, banks, and insurance, issued strike notices.
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