Guwahati, Sept 7 (IANS): The all-India strike called by central trade unions today impacted life across Assam though tea and oil production were not hit.
The strike was total in the transport sector with buses, trucks and taxis keeping off the road. Shops and business establishments were closed in all towns, and educational institutions were hit by the strike, mainly due to lack of public transport.
"We have reports of strike supporters vandalising some buses and other public transport that operated in the morning hours," a police official said.
Train services and production in most tea gardens, oilfields of Oil India Limited (OIL) and Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) were, however, not affected.
"There has been disruption of air services in some sectors although Guwahati-New Delhi flights operated on schedule," a civil aviation spokesperson said.
The labour strike did not affect public utilities like power and water supply either, officials said.
Life in Tripura crippled: The nationwide industrial strike crippled life in Left-ruled Tripura.
"The strike was total with people expressing their anger against price rise, retrenchment, underpayment, poverty and many of the economic policies of the UPA (United Progressive Alliance) government," Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) leader Pijush Nag told reporters here.
Most markets, shops and business establishments, government and semi-government offices, educational institutions, banks and financial institutions were shut in the state. Roads were deserted and rail services between Tripura and the rest of the country were also affected.
However, air services on the Agartala-Kolkata and Agartala-Guwahati routes were normal, an Agartala airport official told IANS.
"The 24-hour shutdown remained peaceful. No untoward incident was reported from anywhere," police spokesperson Nepal Das told IANS.
Buses between Tripura and Bangladesh and other northeastern states were hit.
"The India-Bangladesh trade was also badly hit as hundreds of trucks were stranded on the other sides of the Akhaurah checkpost near here due to the shutdown," a customs official here said.
Major trade unions including CITU, backed by the state's ruling Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), the Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC), the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) and the Hind Mazdoor Sabha (HMS), have called the strike in support of five demands.
These include proper implementation of labour laws, no privatisation of profit-making public sector undertakings, providing enough money for unorganised workers� social security fund, and employment for those who lost their jobs during the global economic meltdown.
