NEW DELHI, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- The nationwide strike call given by trade unions on Thursday disrupted normal life and affected banking and transport services in some Indian states.
The call was given by a joint forum of central trade unions to protest the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led federal government's "anti-worker, anti-farmer and anti-national pro-corporate policies."
Trade unionists claimed that around 300 million workers have been mobilized across the nation for the strike.
The protesters are demanding the scrapping of four labor codes, claiming that they weakened workers' rights and reduced job security.
In Tamil Nadu, the protests were organized at 234 places across the state. During the demonstrations, hundreds of protesters courted arrest.
In Kerala, the impact of the strike was largely visible as it affected daily travel, governance, public service delivery, and commercial activities in the state.
A public bus service operating between Tamil Nadu and Kerala was completely suspended as part of the strike. The halt in services has caused inconvenience to passengers travelling between the two states.
Normal life was affected in Odisha as public transport, markets, educational institutions, and business establishments were impacted due to the shutdown call.
The major roads, including national and state highways, were blocked by protesters at several places. In Jharkhand, the banking, insurance and coal sectors have been reportedly affected.
In Chhattisgarh, several nationalized banks remained closed as employees joined the strike. Reports said staff of insurance companies, post offices, along with laborers and farmers, also participated in the agitation, affecting operations in their respective sectors. ■