Public transport, banking and insurance services were hit in Punjab, Chandigarh and Haryana due to the day-long strike called by major trade unions against the "anti-labour" policies of the Centre today.
However, industrial workers in both the states turned up for work in private factories, reports said.
Employees of several organisations, including postal department, BSNL, insurance also participated in the strike while members of CITU with the support of workers of brick klin, Anganvari, Mid-Day meal scheme carried out protest march at several places.
No untoward incident was reported from the region as the protests and demonstrations remained peaceful.
The major impact of the strike was felt on public transport sector of Haryana where 40-50% of 3,500-fleet of state-owned roadways buses remained off the road.
Fatehabad, Hisar, Jind, Yamuna Nagar, Sonepat and Kaithal districts were the most affeected, a senior official of Haryana Transport Department said.
Striking employees of public transport service in Punjab and Chandigarh did not ply buses between 12 pm and 2 pm.
"The schedule of buses was disrupted only for two hours from 12 pm and during the remaining part of the day buses plied as per schedule," a senior official of Punjab Transport Department said.
An official of Chandigarh Transport department claimed that the strike affected plying of buses on few inter-state routes.
With major bank unions observing one-day strike, financial transactions came to a halt in all the branches of public sector banks. However, banking services in private sector were not affected.
