Bharat Bandh by trade unions may not affect public transport in Mumbai

Railway train services and airport operations may get affected if the strike takes an aggressive turn

As ten central trade unions and Shiv Sena affiliated Bhartiya Kamgar Sena (BKS) in Maharashtra will be observing a nationwide strike on Wednesday, railway employees are giving it back to the Railway Ministry by organising a 'Rail Bachao Sangoshti', to counter the Rail Parivartan Sangoshti that had been earlier organised by railway ministry to get innovative ideas on improvement of Indian Railways.

It is important to note that the Shiv Sena-backed government is now ruling Maharashtra. Railway train services and airport operations may get affected if the strike takes an aggressive turn. Taxi and autorickshaws in Mumbai, however, said that they will function as normal.

Elaborating on the same, officials said that the suburban trains would run through and in case of extremities, it is the outstation trains that are likely to be affected.

The strike has been called to protest against the Central government's "anti-labour" and anti-people policies. About 60 organisations of students and elected office-bearers of some universities have also decided to join the strike with an agenda to raise voice against increased fee structure and commercialization of education.

As many as 12 airports are already sold out to private hands, 100 percent sale of Air India is already decided, the decision to sell BPCL taken, BSNL-MTNL merger announced and 93,600 telecom workers already thrown out of jobs under the garb of VRS (voluntary retirement scheme)," a note added.

The unions are also against privatisation in railways, corporatisation of 49 defence production units and forced merger of banks. In Mumbai from 11 am to 4 pm massive rallies of workers from various undertakings will be taken out with demonstrations at the airport, Bharamata Lalbaug, Andheri west, Panvel, Navi Mumbai, and Bhandup west.

Official note of the strike:

Vishwas Utagi, Co-convenor, TUJAC, Maharashtra gave an official statement which read: "Ten central trade unions and Bhartiya Kamgar Sena in Maharashtra state will be observing nation-wide strike on January 8, 2020. Almost 25 crore people will participate in the strike to protest against the Central government's "anti labour" and anti people policies. Trade unions INTUC, AITUC, HMS, CITU, AIUTUC, TUCC, SEWA, AICCTU, LPF, UTUC and Central/State Government employees along with various sectoral independent federations and associations had adopted a declaration in September last year to go on a nationwide strike on January 8, 2020. We expect the participation of not less than 25 crores of working people in the forthcoming strike, to be followed by many more actions seeking reversal of the anti-worker policies of the central government."

"The ministry of labour has failed to assure any of the demands of workers which had 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. About 60 organisations of students and elected office-bearers of some universities have also decided to join the strike with an agenda to raise voice against increased fee structure and commercialization of education. We the unions also express displeasure over no Indian Labour Conference being held since July 2015, the codification of labour laws and privatisation of PSUs."

"As many as 12 airports are already sold out to private hands, 100 percent sale of Air India is already decided, decision to sell BPCL taken, BSNL-MTNL merger announced and 93,600 telecom workers already thrown out of jobs under the garb of VRS (voluntary retirement scheme). The unions are also against privatisation in railways, corporatisation of 49 defence production units and forced merger of banks. Joint platform of more than 175 farmers and agricultural workers unions will extend its support to workers' demands and observe January 8 as Gramin Bharat Bandh along with their charter of demands."

"All District Committees will co-ordinate massive rallies of workers and peasants at district and taluka places. In Mumbai from 11 am to 4 pm massive rallies of workers from NTUI HMS Railway workers, Govt employees, Bank , insurance, employees and massive participation of Anganwadi women, Asha workers, Mathadi workers will be held under the leadership of TUJAC. At the airport, Bhartiya Kamgar Sena will hold a massive rally."

"At Bharat Mata Lalbag, INTUC will hold dharna for Textile workers. At Andheri West AITUC, CITU will join for massive demonstrations. At Panvel and New Mumbai, INTUC CITU AITUC will hold demonstrations. At Bhandup West, CITU and others will hold Dharna. Demonstrations will take place throughout Mumbai & Thane at various places."

"Unless Narendra Modi government reverses the policy of destruction and selling of Public Sector institutions and unless job loss is not halted and more jobs are not created the unrest in Indian workers can not be silenced."

"Due to anti-people policies of Central Govt the political parties like Shivsena, NCP, Congress, CPI ,CPM ,PWP ,Nav Nirman Sena, Vanchit Aghadi, Janata Dal (S) have supported this historic site which may be the biggest and largest participative strike."

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