ADVERTISEMENT

Bharat Bandh: Banking Services Hit In Madhya Pradesh; Delhi, Mumbai Largely Unaffected

The Bharat Bandh strike comes at a time the economy is struggling against its worst slowdown in decades
The Bharat Bandh strike comes at a time the economy is struggling against its worst slowdown in decades

Bharat Bandh 2020: Banking and transport services were hit in some parts of the country on Wednesday as workers affiliated to trade unions protested against privatisation and the impact of economic slowdown on jobs. While Delhi and Mumbai remained largely unaffected by the Bharat Bandh strike, banking services were hit in Madhya Pradesh and 175 trains were cancelled in West Bengal. The Bharat Bandh strike was called by members of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) and nine other central trade unions including INTUC, AITUC and AIUTUC.

Here's all you need to know about the Bharat Bandh nationwide strike today:

In West Bengal, workers disrupted train services in Kolkata and other towns while shops and banks were shut at other places. Buses, taxis and auto rickshaws stayed off the road in West Bengal, Kerala and some other states, although Delhi and Mumbai remained largely unaffected.

CH Venkatachalam, general secretary of the All India Bank Employees' Association, said the proposed merger of 10 state banks into four banks would affect jobs and hit the recovery of bad loans amounting to near $140 billion.

The Bharat Bandh strike comes at a time the country's economy is struggling against its worst slowdown in decades. The government on Tuesday forecast a GDP expansion rate of 5 per cent for financial year ending March 2020 - the slowest pace in 11 years.

The government is likely to cut spending for the current fiscal year by as much as Rs 2 lakh crore as it faces one of the biggest tax shortfalls in recent years, mainly due to economic slowdown.

"The strike was successful. Five lakh employees and officers of the PSU banks, Reserve Bank, some private banks, cooperative banks, regional rural banks, general insurance unions and LIC joined the strike," C H Venkatachalam, general secretary, All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA) told IANS.