![]() Other demands included regularization of contractual and daily wage workers, an end to the policy of privatization and FDI in railways, defense, coal and other sectors, along with other economic demands. The current minimum wage is shamefully low and even that is not being paid to most of the workers. This has also pushed down wages, and one of the main demands of the strike was to raise the minimum wage to Rs. According to a report, 73 million are unemployed: a total unemployment rate of 7.3 percent, while in urban areas it is 8.9 percent. In recent years, the economic situation of the country has worsened and more than five million have become jobless in the last two years. Rural workers have participated widely in this movement. The All-India Kissan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC) is an umbrella organization of 175 peasants’ and rural workers’ organizations, which participated wholeheartedly in the strike. In rural areas as well, huge protests were also held as agricultural workers for the first time joined the strike and came out in large numbers in various parts of the country to protest for their demands. The banking sector is facing an onslaught of privatization by the Modi government, which is leaving hundreds of thousands of bank workers unemployed. Associations of the banking employees, like All India Bank Employees’ Association (AIBEA), the officers’ association AIBOA, in addition to BEFI, INBEF, INBOC and others joined the strike and pressed for their demands. The banking sector saw a strong strike across the country, and all public sector banking services came to a grinding halt. The transport sector was on strike across the country, disrupting daily activity, and in many places, railway lines and main highways were blocked by marching protestors. Unorganized workers were also on strike according to estimates, along with small traders in many areas, and most of them came onto the streets to participate in protests across the country. Public sector workers in most departments across the country were on complete strike, whereas the heavy industry and automobile sector in many states were also on complete strike. ![]() Sindhu, national secretary of the CITU (Centre of Indian Trade Unions) told the media that 15 states came to a complete halt. On January 8, India came to a grinding halt as more than 250 million joined a general strike across the country, called by the 10 central trade unions, raising demands against the brutal policies of the Modi regime. ![]()
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