There was no major impact of the nationwide shutdown called by trade unions in Karnataka on the second day, with government offices and bus services functioning normally across the state on Wednesday. A number of reported incidences of government-run buses being vandalised by miscreants. On Tuesday, a total of 12 incidents of stone pelting against buses were reported by the state run bus corporations.
A few hundred industrial workers, joined by Anganwadi workers and Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs), took out protest march from Town Hall in the city centre to the Raj Bhavan amidst tight police security. There were protest gatherings in major gatherings in Mysore Bank Circle and Corporation Circle as well.
The government offices, hospitals, commercial establishments, bus and metro services, however, remained largely unaffected in the state.
The 48-hour nationwide strike by the trade unions demanding labour-friendly laws and schemes has been in force since Tuesday.
State-run Karnataka State Road Transport Corp (KSRTC) operated about 3,600 of its scheduled 4,100 bus services across the state. Bus services in Bengaluru, however, were fewer, with only 428 bus services plying across the city against the 4,100 scheduled, leading to a high demand for autos and ride-hailing services like Ola and Uber.
Most of the schools in the state that had declared a two-day holiday ahead of the strike remained closed, while few opened on Wednesday. Universities were also forced to postpone examinations in light of the bandh across the state.
The trade unions on strike also held bike rallies in towns and cities waving red flags.
The striking labour unions had 12 demands including stopping all pro-corporate, anti-worker amendments to labour laws, against privatisation of transport system proposed in the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill 2017, institution of universal public distribution system to contain inflation, implementation of complete farm loan waiver and legislation of the right to sell at minimum support price, and measures for generation of stable employment.
Agencies
