Bengaluru, January 7: As many as 10 major trade unions have called for a Bharat Bandh on today (January 8, 2019) to protest against what they term anti-worker and anti-trade union policies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi led government. Karnataka is likely to be affected by the Bharat Bandh protest as KSRTC and BMTC buses and auto rickshaws won't ply on January 8 and 9, 2019. Scroll down to know what will be opened and shut in Karnataka during the 48-hour strike. Catch live updates on the Bharat Bandh protest here.

Transportation: Lakhs of commuters will face problems as employees of Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) and Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) will participate in the Bharat Bandh protest. "We are against the road safety bill that targets drivers. Around 1.25 lakh employees will strike work and 26,500 buses will not operate. This includes BMTC services," Chandregowda S, a treasurer with the KSRTC Staff and Workers Federation, was quoted as saying. App-based cabs, airport taxis, express trains, Metro trains and flights will operate.

Banking Services: The Bharat Bandh protest is expected to hit banking services across Karnataka as two major bank unions - the All-India Bank Employees’ Association and Bank Employees’ Federation of India - have announced their participation in the strike. "We expect 25 crore workers to join the strike, largely from the unorganised sector, and 6 lakh from banks," Vishwas Tyagi, association secretary, bank employees’ association told TOI. Several banks such as IDBI Bank, Bank of Baroda and Allahabad Bank have informed the BSE that their services will be hit during the hartal.

Insurance, Telecom and Entertainment: Employees of BSNL, LIC and GIC will not report to work to extend their support to the Bharat Bandh call. SA Chinne Gowda, president of Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce, said they will call of screenings if the protest turns violent.

Schools and Colleges: Educational institutes in Karnataka will remain open during the Bharat Bandh protest. Unions of school management have left the decision to educational institutes. Some schools have declared a holiday for Januar 8 and 9. D Shashi Kumar, general secretary, Associated Managements of Primary and Secondary Schools in Karnataka, told TOI that they were not joining the strike but have asked schools to take appropriate measures keeping students' safety in mind.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 08, 2019 08:47 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).