Patna: A one-day nationwide strike called by trade unions to protest against the central govt’s alleged anti-worker policies, including the proposed four Labour Codes, partially affected normal life in the state capital on Thursday. The protest, led by the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), saw workers, employees and union members march from the GPO to Dak Bungalow Chauraha, where they blocked the intersection for nearly two hours.The strike’s impact was felt most in Bihar’s banking sector, where around 9,000 branches and most of the 4,200 ATMs were affected, disrupting business transactions worth crores. The transport sector also remained paralysed, with members of the All India Road Transport Workers Federation, the Patna District Autorickshaw Drivers Union and the Bihar Motor Cab Drivers Union halting operations.
Utpal Kant, general secretary of the Indian Bank Employees Union (Bihar), highlighted key financial-sector demands, including pension reforms and improved working conditions. He reiterated the unions’ demand for implementing a non-contributory Old Pension Scheme (OPS) for all bank employees appointed after April 2010 and called for the “immediate implementation of a five-day banking system and adequate recruitment in all nationalised banks.”Ajay Kumar, Bihar general secretary of AITUC, said nearly 15 lakh employees participated in the strike across Bihar, including about three lakh in Patna. He warned that if the government failed to respond, unions would meet again in March to consider a week-long strike across various sectors.CPI(ML) general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya also joined the protest at Dak Bungalow Chauraha, calling the four Labour Codes “a conspiracy to strip workers of their rights and provide legal protection to the whims of capitalists.”Drawing parallels with the farm laws, he said workers would similarly force the withdrawal of these labour reforms. Bhattacharya further highlighted the plight of rural labourers, noting that unions are demanding 200 days of work and a minimum wage of Rs600 per day under MGNREGA.Rajkumar Jha, general secretary of the All India Road Transport Workers Federation (Bihar), expressed satisfaction over the strike’s success but apologised to the public for the inconvenience caused to commuters during the shutdown.
