Bharat Bandh, January 8, 2020: Trade Unions Call For Nationwide Strike Today; Banking, Transport And Other Services Likely to be Affected

New Delhi, January 7: Normal life is likely to be affected across the nation on January 8, as 10 central trade unions have called for Bharat bandh. The trade organisations that are going on a nationwide strike include - INTUC, AITUC, HMS, CITU, AIUTUC, TUCC, SEWA, AICCTU, LPF and UTUC. Along with these organisations, various sectoral independent federations and associations have also called for the nationwide strike to protest against the government's "anti-people" policies. According to the trade organisations, nearly 25 crore people will be taking part in this all-India strike. Why Are Trade Unions Carrying Out Nationwide Strike on Wednesday? What is The Protest Against? 

The trade unions are going on a strike after their meeting with Central Labour Minister Santosh Gangwar on January 2, ended without any conclusion. They said that the government did not address their concerns, including public sector unit mergers and disinvestment. The other demands include a hike in the minimum wage to Rs 21,000-Rs 24,000 per month. the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) said that no Indian Labour Conference had taken place for the last four year. In the press release, it mentioned that the last meeting with the Central ministers to discuss their demands took place in August 2015.

Here is List of Sectors That Will Be Affected Due to Bharat Bandh 2020:

Banking Sector:

Services at several banks could be affected today as six bank unions have decided to take part in the nationwide strike. Customers are likely to face inconvenience as banking services like ATMs and branch services will be hampered due to the strike. According to reports, employees of central, cooperative, regional rural and the Life Insurance Corporation of India, who belong to bank unions, have also decided to join the strike. Bank unions are protesting against banking reforms and against the merger of public sector banks.

Educational Institutions:

Close to 60 educational institutions which have affiliations with the trade unions participating in the bandh will remain closed. However, it is not clear which school and colleges will be closed today.

Entrance Exams Postponed:

National Eligibility Test (NET) 2019 Exam scheduled to be held today has been postponed. According to the official notification by the Agricultural Scientists Recruitment Board (ASRB), the ICAR NET 2019 will now take place on January 11. However, the examination venue, slot and timing of the examination would remain unchanged. Meanwhile, there is no clarity on UPTET 2019 and JEE Mains 2020 exams.

Transport Facilities:

Due to the nationwide strike by the trade unions, transportation services including buses, trains and autos are expected to take a hit on Wednesday as workers will join the protest. According to reports, apart from Ola and Uber, auto-rickshaw associations, commercial taxis will be part of the strike. However, emergency services, including hospitals, will remain open.

A joint platform of more than 175 farmers and agricultural workers unions will also extend its support to workers' demands. They will observe January 8 as Gramin Bharat Bandh. Meanwhile, The central government has asked public sector undertakings to dissuade their employees from participating in the strike and advised them to prepare a contingency plan to ensure smooth functioning of the enterprises.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 08, 2020 12:15 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).