08 Jan, 13:53 (IST)

The KSRTC has started its operations on many routes despite the call for a 48-hour strike across the country.

08 Jan, 12:47 (IST)

The Bharat Bandh called by the central trade unions received a mixed response across the country. While transportation services were disrupted in Kerala, Assam, Odisha, West Bengal and Karnataka, the strike didn't have much impact in rest parts of the country.

08 Jan, 09:59 (IST)

The Bharat Bandh protests affected normal life in several states. In Odisha's Bhubaneswar, protesters picketed and burnt tyres at a railway station as a mark of their protest, disrupting train services. In West Bengal's Kolkata, agitators took to streets, disrupting office-time traffic. The police soon swept into action and detained a couple of CPI-M workers for allegedly fanning violence in the region in the view of the trade union strike. While BJD-ruled Odisha supported the agitation, in West Bengal, the TMC government asked its employees to stay away from hartal.In Karnataka, daily commuters faced trouble going to offices as auto rickshaws, cabs and KSRTC and BMTC buses are keeping off roads in view of the 48-hour strike. In Hubli, people were seen walking with flags and festoons through the streets displaying their various demands and needs.

08 Jan, 09:25 (IST)

In Karnataka, KSRTC and BMTC buses and auto-rickshaws remained off roads. "We are against the road safety bill that targets drivers. Around 1.25 lakh employees will strike work and 26,500 buses will not operate," Chandregowda S, a treasurer with the KSRTC Staff and Workers Federation, said. App-based cabs, airport taxis, express trains, Metro trains and flights function normally.

08 Jan, 08:56 (IST)

Lakhs of commuters in Mumbai are having a tough time as BEST buses won't ply today. BEST employees have gone on an indefinite strike, demanding merger of the BEST budget with BMC budget and fresh recruitment.

08 Jan, 08:44 (IST)

Due to the Bharat Bandh call, the semester examinations of Bangalore University and Tumkur university have been postponed. The Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS) has also postponed the B.Pharma and D.Pharma courses examinations.

08 Jan, 08:39 (IST)

Trade unions held rail roko protests in Assam and West Bengal as part of the Bharat Bandh agitation. In Assam, workers affiliated to Central Trade Unions forced a train to halt in Guwahati, demanding minimum wages and social security schemes among others. In West Bengal, members of CTU blocked railway line in Howrah.

08 Jan, 08:35 (IST)

School and colleges in Odisha and Dakshina Kannada part of Karnataka will remain shut in the wake of the Bharat Bandh protests. Mangalore University and all the colleges under it will be closed for the day. Udupi district administration also declared a holiday for today in schools and colleges.

New Delhi, January 8: Normal life in some parts of the country will be disrupted due to the Bharat Bandh called by central trade unions and bank strike. The nationwide strike is likely to affect transport services mainly in Karnataka, West Bengal, Assam and Kerala. A separate strike called by bank unions will disrupt transactions at bank branches. Trade unions are holding the Bharat Bandh to protest against what they say anti-labour policies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi led government. The hartal will continue until tomorrow, January 9. Catch live updates on the Bharat Bandh protest, bank strike and their impact across the country.

Major trade unions, including the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC), SEWA and LPF, have jointly called for a Bharat Bandh for today and tomorrow. The 48-hour hartal is expected to have major impacts in Left-dominated West Bengal and Kerala. In Kerala, the CPM-led state government has supported the agitation and given a free-hand to employees in the public sector to remain absent for participating in the protests. Bharat Bandh, Bank Strike on January 8, 9: Karnataka Braces For Trade Unions Hartal, KSRTC, BMTC Bus to Stay Off Roads, What is Open And Shut.

In West Bengal, workers affiliated to All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) are expected to stage rail roko and rasta roko agitations to mark their dissent against the Centre. The TMC led state government, however, has warned its employees against participating in the Bharat Bandh. In Karnataka, KSRTC and BMTC buses and auto rickshaws won't ply on January 8 and 9, 2019. "We are against the road safety bill that targets drivers. Around 1.25 lakh employees will strike work and 26,500 buses will not operate," Chandregowda S, a treasurer with the KSRTC Staff and Workers Federation, was quoted as saying. App-based cabs, airport taxis, express trains, Metro trains and flights will operate.

Besides, the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), an umbrella organisation of all nine unions including the All India Bank Officers Confederation (AIBOC), AIBEA, National Confederation of Bank Employees (NCBE) and the National Organisation of Bank Workers (NOBW), are observing a separate strike today and tomorrow. IDBI Bank, Bank of Baroda, Allahabad Bank and Karur Vysya Bank, among others, have informed BSE that their services are likely to be affected.