Editor’s Note
This report highlights the tangible local impact of a nationwide strike, focusing on the precautionary measures taken by public transport workers in West Bengal. It underscores how industrial action can manifest in unexpected ways, affecting daily operations and the safety concerns of frontline staff.
The impact of the ‘Bharat Bandh’ (India shutdown) called by 10 central trade unions across the country against the central government’s policies was also seen in West Bengal. In view of the potential for violence or stone-pelting related to the shutdown, drivers of state transport buses in Siliguri were seen performing their duties while wearing helmets as a precaution. Bus drivers say they fear that protesters might resort to stone-pelting or other unpleasant incidents, so they considered it necessary to wear helmets for their safety. Pictures of bus drivers wearing helmets are going viral on social media. An atmosphere of fear and anxiety was also visible among passengers, but bus services continued normally on many routes.
The Siliguri administration has tightened the security arrangements in the city and increased the deployment of police forces to prevent any kind of violence during the bandh. The trade unions calling for the Bharat Bandh have protested against the central government’s labor policies, privatization, and inflation. They say the current policies are against workers and the general public.
Last year, they had submitted a charter of 17-point demands to Labor Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, but they say there has been no serious response to it. The union forum said the government has abandoned the country’s welfare state status.
Meanwhile, farmers’ groups and rural labor organizations have also extended their support.
