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Indian workers strike to protest strike ban

Members of various student organizations shout anti-government slogans during a protest march in New Delhi, India, yesterday. PHOTO: AP

Millions of Indian workers went on strike yesterday in protest at a Supreme Court ban on strikes, shutting down government offices, schools and banks and hitting public transport.

Extra police were on the streets of major cities, but the impact of the action varied across the country -- hitting Calcutta and Mumbai worst and barely affecting the capital, New Delhi.

"The strike is total in banks and government offices. People have not gone to work," A.D. Golandaz, joint convener of Bombay's trade unions committee, said, adding several private companies were also hit.

Union leaders said 20 million workers were on strike across the country. Economists say the impact of the one-day strike would be limited and ports and airports were unaffected.

The national strike involves mainly government and financial sector employees.

In the financial capital, Mumbai, volumes were hit in the federal bond and the foreign exchange markets, with dealers from state banks, the dominant players, absent from their desks.

"The government banks should be out of the market for most of the day," said a treasury official at a leading state bank. "Some traders may be in, but back offices will definitely not be functioning."

Daily foreign exchange turnover is estimated at US$4 billion -- almost 60 percent coming from state banks.

"There are very little volumes so far and I expect even that to die down after a while," said a dealer with a foreign bank.

Trading in the government bond market was also thin with traders estimating total volumes about a third of the daily average volume of 40 billion-45 billion rupees.

Hundreds of postal workers rallied outside Mumbai's main post office.

"Not a single letter will be delivered in Bombay today," said Mangesh Parab, an official with the main postal union.

In Calcutta, capital of communist West Bengal state, streets were largely empty, some taken over by children playing cricket. Across the state, almost all shops, business and schools closed.

"We know the strike will be totally successful in West Bengal as the right to strike by government employees is a fundamental right," said Sukomal Sen, secretary of the All India State Government Employees Federation, which has 8 million members across India.

Government workers often strike in India, the world's second-most populous country, crippling services and pinching tax reve-nues. But in August last year, the Supreme Court said government workers had no right to strike because it inconvenienced citizens and cost the state money.
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