New Delhi, January 7: While trade union have called for a Bharat Bandh on January 8 and 9, bank employees are set to go on strike on the same days. Ten major trade unions have called for a two-day strike to protest "anti-worker and anti-trade union policies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi led government." Bank employees are going on hartal "on various issues connected to the banking industry." Commuters in Karnataka will be affected by Bharat Bandh as KSRTC and BMTC buses will go off roads.

Major trade unions, including the All India Trade Union Congress, CITU, Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC), SEWA and LPF, have jointly called for a Bharat Bandh on January 8 and 9. Employees in government sectors such as Railways, banks and electricity departments as well as those in the unorganised sector, including street vendors and auto and taxi drivers, are expected to join the 48-hour hartal. The strike is likely to affect travel and banking services across the country. Bank Strike on January 8 and 9, 2019: Employees to Observe 2-Day Hartal, ATM Transactions to Be Affected.

Employees of Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) and Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) are likely to join the Bharat Bandh protest, which will affect lakhs of commuters across the state. "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.

CITU-affiliated Autorickshaw Drivers’ Union in Karnataka also extended support to the nationwide strike and said three-wheelers won't ply on January 8 and 9. There is no clarity on whether educational institutes will be closed. Anganwadis in the state will remain shut during the protest. Members of the All-India Bank Employees’ Association and Bank Employees’ Federation of India will take part in Bharat Bandh. Besides, LIC, GIC and BSNL employees are also participating in the strike.

Moreover, the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), an umbrella organisation of all nine unions including the All India Bank Officers Confederation (AIBOC), AIBEA, National Confederation of Bank Employees (NCBE) and the National Organisation of Bank Workers (NOBW), have called for a separate strike on January 8 and 9. IDBI Bank, Bank of Baroda, Allahabad Bank and Karur Vysya Bank, among others, have informed BSE that their services are likely to be affected.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 07, 2019 12:40 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).