No impact of shutdown in Karnataka on 2nd day

Bengaluru, Jan 9 (IANS) There was no impact of the nationwide shutdown called by trade unions in Karnataka on the second day, with government offices and bus services functioning normally across the state on Wednesday.

A few hundred industrial workers, joined by Anganwadi workers and Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs), took out protest march here from Town Hall in the city centre to the Raj Bhavan amidst tight police security.

The government offices, hospitals, commercial establishments, bus and metro services, however, remained largely unaffected in the state.

The 48-hour nationwide strike by the trade unions demanding labour-friendly laws and schemes has been in force since Tuesday.

State-run Karnataka State Road Transport Corp (KSRTC) operated about 3,600 of its scheduled 4,100 bus services across the state.

Bus services in Bengaluru, however, were fewer, with only 428 bus services plying across the city against the 4,100 scheduled, leading to a high demand for autos and ride-hailing services like Ola and Uber.

Most of the schools in the state that had declared a two-day holiday ahead of the strike remained closed, while few opened on Wednesday.

The trade unions on strike also held bike rallies in towns and cities waving red flags.

The striking labour unions had 12 demands including stopping all pro-corporate, anti-worker amendments to labour laws, against privatisation of transport system proposed in the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill 2017, institution of universal public distribution system to contain inflation, implementation of complete farm loan waiver and legislation of the right to sell at minimum support price, and measures for generation of stable employment.