Trade Unions strike: Over 20 lakh workers to take part

More than 20 lakh employees and workers of public, private and unorganised sectors in Telangana are expected to participate in the two-day nation-wide strike called by ten central trade unions against the "anti-people" policies of the Centre, a senior CITU leader said Tuesday.

"We expect over 20 lakh workers and employees of various private, government and unorganised sectors to participate in the 48-hour strike.

Emergency service providers such as hospitals are exempted from the strike. Railway employees are not directly participating in the strike.


But they will hold protest rallies at their respective offices during lunch hour," M Saibabu Telangana CITU General secretary told PTI.

The strike call was given by INTUC, AITUC, HMS, CITU, AIUTUC, AICCTU, UTUC, TUCC, LPF and SEWA to protest the "anti-people" policies of the Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre.

Ruling TRS party-backed trade bodies in Singareni Collieries Company Limited and Telangana State Road Transport Corporation may not participate in the strike, he added.

The All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA) and Bank Employees Federation of India has informed the Indian Banks' Association (IBA) of the two-day nation-wide strike on January 8 and 9, 2019, IDBI Bank had said in a filing to the BSE.

AIBEA national secretary B S Rambabu said about 15,000 to 18,000 bank employees across Telangana belonging to the two unions are taking part in the strike.

According to him, banking operations at some of the banks may be hit partially during the strike.

However it is business as usual at the India's largest lender State bank of India as its employees opted out of the strike.

A senior official of TSRTC said there may not be any impact of strike on the bus services as major trade union body Telangana Mazdoor Union decided to confine to undertake lunch hour demonstrations only.