The day-long nationwide strike called by trade unions on Friday to oppose the NDA government's "anti-labour" policies and demand better wages, affected public transport and banking services in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
Public transport came to a standstill in Telangana with employees of state-owned Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) joining the strike.
The TSRTC buses in Hyderabad and nine other districts of Telangana were confined to depots, causing severe inconvenience to commuters, who were stranded at bus stations.
Auto-rickshaw drivers too joined the strike at a few places in the two Telugu states. Banking services were also affected as employees participated in the strike in support of their demands.
In Hyderabad, people had a tough time in reaching their offices and work places. Private transport operators made a fast buck by overcharging.
Coal production in state-owned Singareni Collieries Company Limited in Telangana came to a halt as employees joined the strike. The mines are spread over the four districts of Adilabad, Khammam, Karimnagar and Warangal.
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The company might suffer a loss of Rs 10 crore as 40,000 tonnes of coal production is affected by the stir.
In Andhra Pradesh, the shutdown call evoked a mixed response. A section of employees of Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) went on strike while others reported for duty wearing black badges.
The APSRTC buses were plying as usual in some districts while services in other districts were affected partially.
Production at Visakhapatnam Steel Plant was hit as a section of employees stayed away from work.
Auto-rickshaws also remained off the roads in Visakhapatnam.
Activists of trade unions affiliated to the Left parties took out protest rallies in Hyderabad, Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam.
--IANS
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