M A I N   N E W S

Work in govt offices hit

State Secretariat wears a near deserted look in Mumbai on Wednesday as two crore state and Central Government employees went on a nation-wide strike to protest against the government’s anti-labour policies. PTI

New Delhi, July 25
Central and state government employees today went on a day’s countrywide strike protesting against the privatisation and corporatisation of government departments.

Claiming that the strike was 80 per cent successful across the country, secretary-general of the Confederation of Central Government Employees S.K. Vyas said the functioning of Central Government and state government offices, schools and colleges was hit.

Mr Vyas said over one crore employees participated in the strike.

He said the strike had been called to protest among other things downsizing of establishments, abolition of posts, retrenchment, amendments to existing labour laws against workers’ interest and all other “disastrous” economic policies being adopted at the dictates of the IMF, the World Bank and the WTO.

MUMBAI: More than two crore employees from government as well as semi-government organisations from Maharashtra on Wednesday joined the nationwide strike in protest against the anti-labour policies pursued by the Centre and state governments.

However, transport services, both the Railways and road transport, were running normally. The central and state government employees held demonstrations against privatisation in various parts of the state.

The countrywide strike by government employees, including teachers, was in support of their demand to put a halt to privatisation and downsizing of government departments.

Though bank employees held demonstrations, banking services were reported to be normal.

KOLKATA: Work in state and central government offices in West Bengal was paralysed due to the nationwide strike called by the All-India State Government Employees Federation to protest the privatisation and liberalisation policies of the Centre.

Attendance was thin in the secretariat, Writers Buildings and in state government offices. Only four ministers, including Chief Minister, Buddhadev Bhattacharjee attended office.

Major central government offices like telecommunications was closed. Attendance was thin in central government establishments like Income Tax and Customs and Central Excise.

Courts, universities and government schools, also remained closed.

Banks, including the Central Bank, the RBI, were open and functioned normally.

CHENNAI: About 70 per cent of central government employees in Tamil Nadu today kept away from work to join the nationwide strike against what they termed as Centre’s “anti-labour” and privatisation policies, sources said on Wednesday.

The employees kept away from work in most of the central government offices in Chennai, state secretary, Confederation of Central Government Employees’ Association M. Durai Pandian, told reporters here.

JAIPUR: A joint strike by the employees unions of the Centre and the Rajasthan state against the Central Government’s anti-employees policies today drew poor response as attendance in most offices was unaffected in the state capital, sources said here.

There seemed to be no effect in secretariat, and other state government offices on the call given by the All-India State Employees Federation in support of a nationwide strike, an official of the Department of Personnel said.

PATNA: A large number of employees from government and semi-government organisations in Bihar on Wednesday joined the nationwide strike in protest against the “anti-labour’’ policies of the Centre.

Public transport was, however, not affected by the strike. The functioning of banks was also normal.

AGARTALA: All government, semi-government and educational institutions remained closed in Tripura as the employees and teachers in the state participated in a nationwide strike protesting the government’s move to privatise and downsize the government departments.

“The strike was total in the state,’’ a spokesman of the striking employees said.

PONDICHERRY: Functioning of all state and central government offices came to a standstill as more than 35,000 employees joined the nationwide strike in protest against the liberalisation and privatisation policies of the Union Government and the move to cut down the employees strength.

While all government offices barring hospitals were not functioning, employees affiliated to one postal union alone attended work. PTI, UNI

Mixed response to govt employees’ stir
Tribune Reporters

Faridkot, July 25
On a call given by the All-India Income Tax Employees Federation and other unions, employees here observed a strike today in protest against the alleged anti-employee policies of the Central Government.

ROHTAK: The call for the nationwide strike by government employees met with a mixed response in the city.

The call for the token strike was given by the Sarv Keramchari Sangh, Haryana, and the All-India State Government Employees Federation in protest against the policies of liberalisation, privatisation and globalisation.

FARIDABAD: The call of a nationwide strike given by government employees and trade unions evoked a positive response in the district today. However, the strike did not affect the essential services.

AMRITSAR: BSNL employees observed a strike and held a rally in front of the telephone exchange here today. The strike was observed on a call given by the Confederation of Central Government Employees and the All-India State Government Employees Federation.

SONEPAT: The call for a strike given by various trade unions and government employees’ unions fizzled out in the city and other parts of the district today.

Normal life remained unaffected and the Roadways services functioned normally. Attendance in government offices was reported to be normal.

The district administration had, however, made arrangements to maintain law and order and check any untoward incident.

JIND: The strike call given by the Akhil Bharatiya Rajya Sarkari Karamchari Mahasangh and the Sarv Karamchari Sangh, Haryana, evoked a poor response in the district. Haryana Roadways buses plied as usual in the district. The supply of water and the power was also normal.

However, Mr Rajbir Berwal, a spokesman for the Sarv Karamchari Sangh, Haryana, claimed that work in several government offices was affected due to the strike.

SIRSA: The strike call given by various workers unions evoked a mixed response in the town.

Some workers tried to stage a dharna outside the local bus stand, but they did not get much support. According to the General Manager, Haryana Roadways, the strike failed. The Superintending Engineer of Haryana Vidut Nigam said 65 out of 1,265 workers in his circle were absent from duty.

ROPAR: The call for strike by various employees’ unions evoked a mixed response in the district. While the Class III and IV employees of BSNL, Income Tax and Postal Departments observed near total strike, workers of NFL Nangal did not participate in the strike.

YAMUNANAGAR: On a call given by the All-India State Employees Federation, employees here remained on strike today. Employees of various government departments in the district assembled at Nehru Park and took out a protest march.

Mr Jarnail Singh Sanghwan, state vice-president of the Sarv Karamchari Sangh, while addressing the employees, alleged that 6,000 employees had been dismissed and the posts of 10,500 employees had been abolished.

JALANDHAR: A number of teachers and employees of other departments organised a protest rally here today.

Members of organisations, including the All-India Income Tax Employees Federation, the LIC Employees Association, the Punjab and Chandigarh Private College Teachers’ Union and the All-India Federation of College and University Teachers Organisation criticised the government move for privatisation of the public sector.

Earlier, college teachers boycotted classes, held rallies at their respective colleges before proceeding towards Apeejay College in a protest march.

SHIMLA: Members of the Military Engineering Services Workers Union held a rally at the Jutogh cantonment in support of the countrywide strike by the Confederation of Central Government Employees and the All-India State Government Employees Federation.

ABOHAR: Employees of the Income Tax offices here observed a strike today and the officers abstained from office for two hours on a call given by their respective unions.