THE September 2 general strike, called by 10 Central Trade Unions and independent federations on 12-point charter of demands covering the issues of the common people, workers, peasants, youths and women, received massive support from the masses in Madhya Pradesh, Punjab and Odisha.
Bhopal, the city of lakes, turned into a sea of red as hundreds of workers and employees came onto the streets in different parts of the city to send a strong message to the ruling dispensation. The main rally was held at Yaadgar-e-Shahjahani Park where leaders of different trade unions addressed the gathering. The growing strength of Anganwadi Workers’ Union was at display again as they rallied with the organised labourers from diverse sectors and production units in the city. The workers’ union at the Coca Cola factory unit also brought a sizable number of workers to the rally which was addressed by Roopsingh Chauhan of All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) and Pramod Pradhan of Centre for Indian Trade Unions (CITU), among others. Besides the main event, employees organised through the All India Bank Employees Association gathered at Maharana Pratap Nagar while central government employees, especially those of Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), assembled at Arera Hills.
The strike was observed in other parts of the state too. Gwalior city witnessed a complete shutdown. In the past few years, the district unit of CITU has revitalised working class struggles in the area after the setback due to factory shutdowns. Building on its tremendous work done with auto-rickshaw workers and the recent successes in the street vendors’ struggle, Gwalior reported a successful mobilisation. Similarly, Indore, Rewa, Ujjain, Jabalpur, Neemuch, Sagar, Shahdol, Hoshangabad and Morena reported shutdown of work in their respective centres and organised rallies at the worksite or city streets. In cities like Ratlam, strikers and their sympathisers urged citizens to not use commercial vehicles under the “Magic” service or auto-rickshaws. Even peri-urban and small towns in Malwa, Chhindwara and Baghelkhand regions reported impressive working class participation in the strike.
About 90-95 per cent workers went on strike in the coal mining areas bringing work to a grinding halt in important sites such as Pench, Pali, Pathakhera, Kanhan, Kotama, Sohagpur and Singarouli. What is significant about the success of coal workers mobilisation, led by Koyla Shramik Sangh and All India Trade Union Congress, is that almost 15-20 per cent of coal workers in the state are members of the RSS- affiliated Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), which had backed out of the joint strike call. Coal workers with the BMS defied the renegade position of their union and struck work in solidarity with their other comrades.
Public Works Department and Safai Karamcharis in Sagar; power sector workers, including those from Essar and Reliance Power; medical representatives and pharmacy workers from across the state added strength to this day. Manufacturing sector was badly affected due to the action of the workers, rendering production impossible in almost all prominent centers such as Indore, Pithampura, Govindpura, Maharajpur and Bamor. Even distribution was hit as mandis from over 100 cities and towns participated.
The other big news was the roaring success of the surface transport strike in the state. Road Transport Corporation is following familiar patterns of contractualisation and privatisation of all road transport in the state. In the absence of a state unit among transport workers, CITU and All India Road Transport Federation worked overtime campaigning and distributing almost one million pamphlets across the state to reach out to transport workers. The strike had demanded the withdrawal of the proposed Motor Vehicle Act (2016) which has been approved by the cabinet. At the signs of an impending success among the transport workers, the state administration forced buses to ply in the capital city of Bhopal and a few other cities but largely, buses remained off the roads. Madhya Pradesh mobilised almost 20 lakh people on the occasion of the national strike.
The resounding success of the strikers should deal an ominous warning to the BJP government in MP, and the Narendra Modi- led NDA government at the Centre of which way the wind is blowing and the continued relevance of striking work as a legitimate mode of protest in any unequal society.
The strike was also successful in Punjab and Union Territory of Chandigarh. Banking, postal, railway mail service, BSNL, insurance, transport and other services employees joined the strike. In Chandigarh, electricity, water supply, horticulture and road maintenance employees observed complete strike throughout the day.  A joint rally of the unions was held at Sector 17 where workers from their work places came in processions after striking work.
Large joint rallies were held in Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur, Amritsar, Patiala, Rajpura, Pathankot, Mansa, Bathinda  and other district headquarters and industrial centres.  Anganwadi workers participated in the strike all over the state. They gheraoed the residence of the Punjab Finance Minister in Sangrur. State leaders of various unions addressed the rallies at the district headquarters and industrial centres. In Ludhiana, a huge rally was organised at the bus stand where workers reached in processions from all over the city after striking work in their factories and offices. CITU state president Vijay Misra addressed the rally.
Odisha witnessed a shutdown on September 2. Hundreds of people with Red flags came onto the roads since early hours. Road, rail and water transport services were totally paralysed. Even the auto-rickshaws were off the road. Banks and insurance company offices remained closed. Coal mines and its offices, NTPC, iron ore mines were totally paralysed.  100 per cent of contract workers participated in the strike in aluminium sector. Sponge iron plants were closed. In Rourkela Steel Plant due to total participation of contract workers the production has been seriously affected. Central government employees were on strike in almost all departments.
 
The entire judiciary, including the Orissa High Court, could not function. Participation of thousands of construction workers, scheme workers like mid-day meal, ASHA, anganawadi and agricultural workers made the strike successful in rural Odisha. CPI(M) cadres joined workers, peasants, students, youths and women volunteers who squatted on railway tracks at Berhampur, Rourkela, Cuttack, Bhubaneswar, Balasore, Sambalpur, Bhadrak and Jaleswar. Thousands of people sat on dharnas on highways. Even state ministers could not attend their offices travelling by cars. The steep price rise of all essential commodities and the recent increase of diesel and petrol prices added fuel to the spontaneity of the people to support the strike. In all the thirty districts of Odisha, the spontaneity was clearly visible. About 2,000 cadres were detained by police in the state. (END)