By IANS
Kolkata : A nationwide shutdown called by the Centre for Indian Trade Union (CITU) in support of better working conditions for the unorganised sector received mixed response in communist-ruled West Bengal Wednesday.
Taxis and auto rickshaws were scarce on the city roads. Few buses, mini buses and trams plied on their regular routes though this time they were kept outside the purview of the strike.
CITU is the trade union wing of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), which spearheads the Left Front government in West Bengal.
Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya and other CPI-M and CITU leaders had assured that the 24-hour shutdown would not affect the lives of common people. But CITU activists were seen pressuring auto rickshaw and taxi drivers not to ply their vehicles.
Behala, Ranikuthi, Tollygunge, Chetla, Bhawanipur, Posta and many other areas in Kolkata were literally paralysed because of the absence of adequate public transport. The number of passengers on local trains and buses were also less than normal days.
Kali Ghosh, state secretary of CITU, had said Tuesday: “We do not want it to take the shape of a general strike, which is why we have exempted private buses and mini buses. Some sections are talking about CITU paralysing the entire state transport in West Bengal, which is not true.”
CITU called the 24-hour shutdown demanding fulfilment of their 15-point charter of demands for the benefits of workers employed in the unorganised sectors. The charter includes framing a comprehensive legislation on social security for workers in the sector.
Railway commuters getting down at major stations like Howrah and Sealdah had a harrowing time because very few taxis were available. People flying into Kolkata also faced terrible inconvenience.
According to sources, only 25 percent of total buses were plying in Howrah, the twin district of Kolkata, affecting the lives of regular commuters.
Some sporadic clashes were reported in different parts of the city and other districts where CITU activists forcibly tried to make the shutdown a success.
In Murshidabad and Siliguri districts, CITU supporters reportedly got involved in minor clashes with workers employed in unorganised sectors. They also allegedly beat up shopkeepers in Siliguri who opened their stores.
West Bengal Home Secretary Prasad Ranjan Roy said if CITU activists pressurised people to support the shutdown, police would take necessary steps against them.