Thousands of workers protest, production in industries affected in Bengaluru

The nationwide strike called by the central trade unions on Wednesday affected production in industries across sectors as workers sat on protest at various centres across the city. However, daily life was almost unaffected by the strike, as transport services operated as usual in Bengaluru, despite some transport unions supporting the strike call.

According to the Joint Committee of Trade Unions (JCTU), about 8,000 workers arrived at Freedom Park, where a protest meeting was organised. The workers from engineering, pharmaceuticals, automobiles, electronics, and aerospace industries, among others, participated.

“Production came to a complete halt in several industries in the city as workers held a gate meeting before leaving to the protest site,” a source in JCTU said.

A memorandum detailing the workers’ demand was also submitted to the government.

The JCTU urged immediate implementation of the draft minimum wages already notified by vacating the stay ordered by the court. Urging scrapping of the four industrial codes, the JCTU said that maximum working hours daily should be capped at eight hours and proposed an amendment to Section 24 of the Factories Act and Shops and Establishment Act that involves safety measures for working class, should be withdrawn.