A nationwide strike on the issue of 6th Pay Commission brought the nation to a grinding halt Wednesday. The call of strike given by leading labor unions supported by communist parties and trade unions affiliated to them affected almost the whole nation.

Air passengers were worst hit as were train services in many states including West Bengal and Bihar. Several flights were cancelled as union employees sat on dharnas and shouted slogans blocking the entrance of the airport in many places.

Stranded passengers mostly on local routes had a harrowing time as there were no alternative arrangements for them. With 22000 Air Port Authority of India employees staging protests, most prepaid taxiwallahs too had not come to airport and so the passengers who got to the airport had to walk miles to get a taxi or auto in the national capital.

But the worst hit was West Bengal where life remained completely shut down. Markets, schools, colleges and all other institutions were closed. Even private sector business institutions were closed as public transport was not available in any part of the state including Kolkata, the state capital. All trains leaving from Kolkata were cancelled.

Left affiliated trade unions had called for strike demanding the removal of anomalies in the 6th Pay Commission implementation, rising inflation among other things.

According to reports, eight trade unions including the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) and Centre for Industrial Trade Union (CITU) and 40 employees’ federations are supporting the strike.

Airport employees are protesting against privatisation of airports and rationalisation of employees’ pay scales. The government has deployed about 250 Indian Air Force personnel at 21 airfields across the country to ensure smooth air travel.

All public sector banks will remain closed today. The unions also plan to stage demonstrations and block rail and roads traffic in the day-long agitation.

The bank employees are protesting against the new economic policies of the government, especially with regards to mergers, which have led to job cuts.

Lower level government employees’ federations have supported the strike, which is also against the government’s economic and labour policies. Lower level government employees are highly disappointed over the raise given to them in the 6th Pay Commission report.

The six-point charter of demands includes curbing inflation, passage of a comprehensive bill to provide social security to unorganised sector workers, loan-waiver scheme for farmers borrowing money from private moneylenders and proper implementation of labour laws.