24-hour nationwide strike gets underway

Tuesday, February 28, 2012: The 24-hour nationwide strike has begun here today. 11 trade unions together have given call for a general strike all over the nation on Tuesday.
Employees in private sector have also extended support to the strike.The striking trade unions include the Left labour arms CITU, AITUC, UTUC and AIUTUC, and Congress’s INTUC, besides BMS, HMS, TUCI and NLO who have joined forces in support of a 10-point charter of demands.
The unions have been demanding abolition of appointments on contract basis, bringing ammendment to the Minimum Wages Act, providing for payment of pension to all categories of employees, and bringing down inflation, among others. For the first time, unions owing allegiance to Congress, BJP, and communist ideologies have joined hands together for the strike.
It is expected that work in banks, government offices, and private enterprises will be affected by the strike. Railways will be the only exception, which will function normally.