Trade union strike: Normal life hit in Odisha

Normal life was disrupted across Odisha Tuesday as a large number of vehicles went off the roads and movement of several trains and private transport was halted due to the country-wide strike launched by various trade unions.

In the state capital Bhubaneswar, thousands of protestors came out in a massive rally and demonstrated outside the office of the East Coast Railway.

The protestors also squatted on the roads and railway tracks and burnt tyres in different places of the state. In steel city of Rourkela, protestors shut down different banks and central government offices.

“There have been no untoward incidents have been reported from any parts of the state. The protests were peaceful,” an official of the state police headquarter at Cuttack, about 25 km from here, told IANS.

Banks, offices of the insurance companies, central government offices and patrol pumps were found shut at several places.

The strike, which has secured the support of around 5000 unions affiliated to all the major trade unions cutting across party lines, is to protest price rise, corruption, violation of labour rights, free market policies and disinvestment which would result in loss of jobs.

The unions are also demanding a social security net for all unorganised sector workers by creating a national social security fund, enforcement of basic labour laws and stringent punitive action against violators.