MP: Trade union strike sees protests in few districts

The nationwide strike called by trade unions against the Centre’s policies on Thursday triggered protests in a few districts of Madhya Pradesh, while over 25,000 civilian employees of defence establishments reported to work an hour late across the state.

However, MP’s business capital, Indore, remained unaffected by the strike.

The day-long strike was called to protest against what the unions described as anti-worker, anti-farmer and pro-corporate policies of the central Government.

In Indore and adjoining industrial areas, the strike had a negligible impact on factory operations, and work continued as usual, industrial bodies and labour leaders said.

Markets, petrol pumps, schools and colleges remained open across the state. More than 25,000 civilian workers posted at six ordnance factories in Madhya Pradesh, the 506 Army Base Workshop, the Central Ordnance Depot and the Military Engineer Services reported for duty an hour late as a mark of protest, said S N Pathak, president of the All-India Defence Employees Federation. “We could not observe a complete day-long strike as defence production and related work fall under the essential services category,” he said, adding that workers reported for duty at 9 am instead of 8 am.

Workers affiliated with various unions staged protests and raised anti-Government slogans at some places across the state.

In Bhopal, workers protested at the press complex, with employees of nationalised banks, the Income Tax Department and the insurance sector participating in it, said the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) Madhya Pradesh general secretary Pramod Pradhan.