The 24-hour nation-wide general strike called on Thursday by Centre of Indian Trade Unions and others is likely to make a noticeable impact on life in West Bengal.
The nascent IT sector, given the status of a public utility, has not been exempted. CITU, however, has assured there will be no picketing of the IT hub at Sector V of Salt Lake.
Apprehending a total absence of public transport, whose trade unions are controlled by CITU, all major airlines cancelled their flights to and from Kolkata on Wednesday.
Foreign airlines are yet to intimate a decision on their flights to the Airports Authority of India. Both Eastern and South-Eastern Railways said no train has been cancelled on Thursday.
"We are ready to run trains if there is no obstruction. But past experience shows obstruction and squatting lead to total disruption in rail services," a railway source said.
They would try to ensure that the time of arrival of long-distance trains at 7 am or so was advanced by over an hour so that they reached Howrah before the bandh began at 6 am, SER sources said.
Nationwide stir by Left unions: According to another report from New Delhi, workers belonging to Left-affiliated trade unions would go on a nation-wide strike on Thursday to protest against the 'failure' of the United Progressive Alliance government in implementing pro-people policies.
However, Congress-affiliated Indian National Trade Union Congress and RSS-backed Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh would stay away from what they called a 'politically motivated' strike.
Public sector banks and insurance sectors are likely to be among the most affected by the all India general strike as the workers unions are mostly Left dominated in these areas.
The Left trade union bodies have accused the UPA government of being 'unconcerned over sufferings of people' and turning a blind eye to the spurt in prices of essential commodities.
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