Bhubaneswar: Vehicular movement in different parts of Odisha, including in the capital city of Bhubaneswar, was affected Wednesday due to strike by trade unions and drivers’ associations.
A joint forum of 10 central trade unions has been staging a Bharat bandh, or a nationwide strike, since Wednesday morning in protest against the four labour codes, contractualisation, and privatisation of PSUs, among others.
The forum of ten central trade unions and their associates, which include, All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC), HMS, Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), All India United Trade Union Centre (AIUTUC), Trade Union Coordination Centre (TUCC), Self Employed Women’s Association (SEWA), All India Central Council of Trade Unions (AICCTU), Labour Progressive Federation (LPF) and United Trade Union Congress (UTUC) are participating in the nation-wide protest.
Opposition Congress and Biju Janata Dal (BJD) have extended their support to the protest of trade unions.
Similarly, the drivers of different transportation vehicles, including buses, taxis, and trucks, have resorted to the cease work protest since Tuesday morning, demanding welfare measures for the drivers in the state.
The protestors staged demonstrations in different places and blocked several roads including national highways in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Bargarh, Bhadrak, Balasore, Bolangir, and Sambalpur.
Due to the protest by trade unions and thousands of drivers, vehicular movement has been severely affected in the state, said a police officer.
A large number of vehicles standing on both sides of major roads and NHs as the protestors are picketing on the roads. The protesters were also seen staging a protest blocking the railway tracks in Bhubaneswar station.
The commuters have remained stranded in the bus stands across the state.
Several central government offices, banks, business establishments and educational institutions are also partially affected in some places including Rayagada, Berhampur, Nabarangpur, and Gajapati districts, police said.
Fuel stations in Bhubaneswar remained closed as the trade union members picketed before the petrol pumps.
However, the offices and educational institutions are functioning normally in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack and some other cities, they said.
Trade union leader Sura Jena, who was leading a protest near the railway station here, alleged that the Narendra Modi-led central government is exploiting the labourers of the country by imposing the Labour Codes.
“The central government is privatising central PSUs, airports and other public properties one after another and failed to control inflation and unemployment, which is at its peak,” he said.
Among major demands, the trade unions demanded immediate rollback of the four Labour Codes, Rs 26,000 per month wage for workers, reinstating the old pension scheme, and strengthening protections for workers in both organised and unorganised sectors.
Under the banner, Odisha Drivers’ Mahasangha, thousands of drivers of buses, trucks, vans, taxis, auto rickshaws and other commercial vehicles have been staging ‘steering down’ protest as their talk with the state government remained inconclusive.
The protesting drivers held different meetings for over four hours on Tuesday night with the Transport Department officers and Transport Minister Bibhuti Bhusan Jena.
Aditya Prasad Behera, treasurer of the association, said, “No decision has been taken yet. Our president will announce if the strike will be called off.”
The drivers demanded death benefits, rest sheds every 100 km on major roads and compensation if a driver cannot work after an accident.
The association also demanded inclusion of autorickshaw drivers in the Odisha Motor Transport Drivers and Workers’ Welfare Board constituted by the government.
Speaking to reporters, the minister said, “The discussion was held in a positive atmosphere. So, I hope that the drivers will call off their protest.”
A meeting of the board will be convened soon to discuss the inclusion of auto drivers in it and other welfare measures for the drivers, he said.
Necessary steps will be taken for action against those who assault drivers in case of accident and preferential hiring of Odia drivers in mining activities, he added.
PTI
