News Analysis India

Tag: Traders

  • Central trade unions’ nationwide strike enters Day 2

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The two-day nationwide strike by central trade unions to protest against the government policies entered its second day on Tuesday, impacting normal life in some parts of the country.

    According to reports, public transport and banking services remain partly disrupted for the second day in some states.

    “Workers in Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh have joined the strike on the second day in addition to the workforce of state on the agitation on Monday. Workers in almost all sectors have joined the strike. We got a good response from the rural band. Over 20 crore participated in the strike on Monday and the number would be more on the second day,” Amarjeet Kaur, General Secretary of All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), told PTI.

    A joint forum of central trade unions is protesting against the government policies affecting workers, farmers, and people.

    Their demands include scrapping of Labour Codes, no privatisation in any form, scrapping of National Monetisation Pipeline (NMP), increased allocation of wages under MNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee Act) and regularisation of contract workers.

    In a statement, the joint platform has said central trade unions and independent sectoral federations and associations will stage a ‘dharna’ at Jantar Mantar from 11.30 am onwards on the second day of the strike on March 29 for their 12-point charter of demands.

    The unions of bank employees are participating in the strike. Bank unions are protesting against the government’s move to privatise two public sector banks as announced in Budget 2021-22. They are also demanding an increase in interest rate on deposits and reduction in service charges.

    On Monday, the first day of the strike, public dealings at some bank branches were hit and public transport services were thrown out of gear in states like West Bengal, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

    However, essential services like healthcare, electricity and fuel supplies remained unaffected. Public offices as well as educational institutions were not impacted by the strike on Monday.

    Some bank branches, particularly in cities with a strong trade union movement, did very limited over-the-counter public dealings such as cash deposits and withdrawals on the first day of strike.

    The joint forum of central trade unions said bandh-like situation prevailed in at least eight states on the first day of the strike.

    “There is a bandh-like situation in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Puducherry, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Odisha, Assam, Haryana and Jharkhand,” the forum had said in a statement on Monday.

    According to the forum, agitations were held in many industrial areas across Goa, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Punjab, Bihar, Rajasthan, West Bengal, Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh.

    In Maharashtra, volume data from clearing houses and cash replenishment at Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) was not immediately available, though the striking employees claimed it had a deep impact.

    Workers staged protests at several places and unions claimed the agitation had an impact in coal mining belts of Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh on Monday. The central trade unions that are part of this joint forum are INTUC, AITUC, HMS, CITU, AIUTUC, TUCC, SEWA, AICCTU, LPF and UTUC.

  • Pune traders, hoteliers oppose Maharashtra govt’s COVID-19 guidelines

    By PTI
    PUNE: An apex body of traders in Pune on Tuesday opposed the Maharashtra government’s directive to shut shops selling non-essential commodities and services till April 30, amid rise in COVID-19 cases.

    The Federation of Trade Association Pune (FTAP) said it will write to the Prime Minister, chief minister and other authorities to register its protest against the decision.

    “There is discontent among traders over the decision of shutting all shops except those selling essential commodities in the city. If you see, the shops selling essential commodities draw large crowds and others have no rush,” said Fatechand Ranka, the president of FTAP.

    The decision will severely affect small traders, he said.

    Meanwhile, the members of the United Hospitality Association, a body that represents hotels, restaurants and bars, staged a protest outside the Pune Collectorate Office.

    ALSO READ: What services will remain open and what will be closed?

    “We staged a silent protest outside the Collector’s office, asking the government to roll back the decision of the lockdown,” president of the association Sandeep Narang said.

    Instead of imposing a lockdown and asking traders and hoteliers to sit at home, the government should ensure that the healthcare facility is strengthened and patients can get beds, he said.

    “As per the new guidelines of the Pune Municipal Corporation, home delivery is allowed till 6 pm. I want to ask the government, who orders food before 6 pm,” he said.

    Darsshan Ravalh, secretary of the association, said they were already following the 50 per cent seating capacity norm, so closing down the business was not a solution.

    “Home deliveries should be allowed from 11 am to 11 pm. There is no harm in continuing the delivery services as a contactless system is being adopted,” he said.

  • Silver 3000 and gold Rs 2200 cheaper, good opportunity for investors

    Gold and silver prices have dropped significantly due to the impact of the international market. Its influence is also being seen in Gherlu market. In the last week itself, gold has become cheaper by 22 hundred rupees. At the same time, the price of silver has also fallen by Rs 3000.

    Gold prices fell further late Thursday. Gold was Rs 48900 per ten grams (standard) and silver was Rs 68700 per kg. Last week, on January 28, gold was Rs 51100 per ten grams (standard) and silver was also Rs 71700 per kg. Bullion experts say that both precious metals now remain signs of decline. Further decline may be seen in the coming days.

    The James and Jewelery Park is soon to be built at Pandri in the capital Raipur. In this park, artisans as well as businessmen will remain under one roof. Along with this, special care has also been taken of all the facilities of the consumers. For this, more than 1100 applications have come to the Raipur Sarafa Association. While only 500 shops are to be built in this park. Applications have also come from outside the state as well as from outside traders.