With more vigor and determination undaunted by the police repression and threats of the Governments and employers, the General Strike continued on the second day today the 21st February 2013 exhibiting the anger and agony of the working people of India against the anti labour and pro-corporate policies of the Govt. Workers of many factories at different parts of the country having no trade unions also joined the strike on the second day spontaneously seeing the impact of the strike on the first day.
While the major and strategic sector workers such as, Banks, Insurance and other Financial Sectors, Oil & Petroleum, Road Transport (both public and private sectors) in many states, defence (civilian) Postal, Telecom, Govt. employees in several states, several departments of Central govt., Port & Dock, industrial clusters in most states, Coal & Non-coal Mines, Power, Plantation continued their strike, there was added presence of the unorganized workers in the protest demonstrations & dharnas jointly organized in industrial centres and state capitals. Morchas were taken out by the striking workers in huge numbers to present Memorandum to the Governor, Chief Ministers and / or other Govt. authorities in the respective states.
Some highlights for the second day, include:
The industrial area of Gurgaon and Dharuhera at Haryana remained virtually closed with the workers in all the factories, large, medium and small including the MNC companies joining strike enmasse. In Wazipur industrial area nearly 20,000 workers assembled and the Ring road was jammed for hours.
The city of Bhopal, capital of Madhya Pradesh, Gwalior and Guna witnessed a bandh like situation with the public transports going off the road on the second day.
Anganwadi workers at various parts of the country organized road-blockade demonstration at various places, at block and district level at Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Himachal and Uttarakhand braving lathi charges by Police in Bihar, where 500 anganwadi women were arrested.
Despite house to house raid and ransacking the residences of trade union leaders in Noida and adjoining villages by Police and arrest of many activists during 20th February evening-night, strike in the factories in most of the phases of Noida industrial areas were complete.
Leaders of all Central Trade unions along with thousands of activists courted arrest while demonstrating before Rajbhawan at Bhubaneswar. At Sundargarh District of Orissa, more than five thousands courted arrest on the second day.
The workers of major multinational companies viz., Kaparo group, Sovel near Chennai and ATC Tyre at Tirunelveli joined the strike enmasse on the second day. Strike in industrial towns in Pune and around Chennai were total.
In West Bengal, the state Govt unleashed terror on the striking workers on the first day of strike action, locks of Post Offices were broken by Police in many places to force the Post Office Open. On 21st February morning one state Govt employee in a block office of Mursidabad was physically attacked and his one ear was forcibly amputated. However,strike on the second day in industries and establishments in the state remained substantially massive.
Some states such as Puducherri, Assam, amongst others, observed total Bandh in support of the General Strike.
Reports from almost all states received here speak of full and complete industrial strike, coupled with massive demonstrations of the striking workers. According to our estimates around 12 crore of people, directly or indirectly participated in the 2 days nationwide strike.
We once again urge upon the Govt. to see the writing on the wall, understand the grave situation prevailing among the working people of India, hold immediate dialogue with the trade unions in order to meet the 10 point charter of demands.
While greeting millions of working people for the historic response to the call for two days General Strike throughout the country, the Central Trade Unions reiterate that the struggle initiated so far does not come to an end with the successful completion of two days General Strike and the struggle will continue till the demands are achieved.
BMS INTUC AITUC HMS CITU
AIUTUC TUCC SEWA AICCTU LPF UTUC
and
Independent Federations of Workers and Employees