Kolkata pushes back against strike but travel a problem – Times of India

Kolkata News

There was hardly any disruption to normal life in large parts of Kolkata on the first day of the two-day nationwide strike called by trade unions that began on Monday.

KOLKATA: There was hardly any disruption to normal life in large parts of Kolkata on the first day of the two-day nationwide strike called by trade unions that began on Monday.
Several schools operated normally and most offices – especially in the Park Street-Shakespeare Sarani belt and those in Sector V-New Town-Rajarhat saw almost normal attendance. Markets functioned as usual and traffic flow was smooth barring a few incidents in some pockets. The state offices clocked around 97% or more attendance. The strike left its maximum impact on banking services, though, as almost all public-sector banks saw no work all through the day. Additionally, not everyone who went out to school or work had a smooth ride.
Private banks managed to keep their asset banking operations on though customer services were forcefully stopped as the day progressed. By evening, a few ATMs in the city reportedly went “dry.” Sanjay Das, state secretary of All India Bank Officers’ Confederation, claimed the strike was complete in the banking sector as it was called by All India Bank Employees Association and Bank Employees Federation of India.
A small section of app-cab operators and taxi drivers’ unions – mostly affiliated to CITU – joined the strike, turning hailing taxis into a challenge. Autos tried to fill the void but charged a premium at certain spots.
“My mother was apprehensive, but I travelled to school with friends on a bus, like every day,” said Samantak Dey, a Class XI student.
Police helped a school student appearing for his ICSE pre-board exams who got stuck in the Jadavpur protest by bandh supporters. Sergeant Saptarshi Brahma gave the teen a ride to school and ensured he could take the test.
Those coming to office on local trains faced disruptions with trains getting blocked at Rishra, Pandua, Uluberia, Amta, and Shyamnagar. “Attendance in offices was normal but some may have faced problems in reaching offices as there were fewer taxis. I heard there were disruptions in local train services too,” said Sector V Stakeholders’ Association VP Kalyan Kar.
Left unions organised rallies, blocked roads and trains across the state. In some areas – Jadavpur, Moulali and College Street – protesters scuffled with cops when the latter tried to remove blockades. At Gariahat, strike supporters marched up and down from Gariahat towards Bijon Setu and Golpark, disrupting traffic that was already hit due to the temporary shutting of Gariahat flyover.

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Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/kolkata-pushes-back-against-strike-but-travel-a-problem/articleshow/90509789.cms