While passing by the regular street back home, I noticed that it was peaceful and less chaotic than normal. Less traffic, many shops closed, less people and even lesser vehicles therefore obvious low noise on street. There was calmness in the surrounding and a sense of happiness prevailed till I looked at the other side of road where lot of daily wage labours/workers had gathered in front of a market complex. There was no calmness or happiness on their faces at all. Though I could not hear them but the silence and disappointment on their faces was screaming loud. Apparently a strike had been called and as a result market complex had been closed and hence there was no work on offer for the day or may be for days to come.
This is not the only story of a few faces in my locality, several others too share the same plight across the country, those who often suffer this unwanted forced shutdown and might be missing on their meal due to the nation-wide strike called by trade Unions. The trade unions have called for a strike/shutdown across the country in order to protest against the government’s recent labour laws changes pertaining to hike in minimum wage level, which the trade unions find inappropriate. Union government has announced recently that it is considering the long due demand of raising minimum wages of workers from the current level of Rs.246 per day to a daily minimum of Rs.350. However the trade unions are demanding for an increase of more than two and half times from the current level and making minimum wage level at Rs.692 per day. This demand from the central trade union to increase the minimum wages up to Rs 18000 per month has come after the recent announcement of minimum salary level under the 7th Pay Commission report on pay fixation of government employees.
It has become very common in country to call shutdown during the protest or while raising any demand. Considered as the civil protest measure these shutdowns and strikes are often politically driven and at times go violent and in-disciplined .There is a huge chunk among people who believe these strikes are influential plus appropriate solution and also justify the losses caused due to these strikes. The current strike is the good example of these politically motivated strikes that has its own agenda disguised behind the protests. The left ideological trade Unions are leading the current movement against the government with support from Congress backed INTUC, and Left’s CITU and AITUC. However the government pro Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), has not joined the strike after the government has announced to raise the current minimum wage level of Rs.246 per day to a daily minimum of Rs.350.
In addition to the huge financial and revenue loss which the economy suffers due to theses shutdowns, protests and strikes, it is the common life which takes a toll and comes to a halt often. School, colleges, transportation, medical and other essential services gets affected and becomes an unnecessary victim of these strikes. Daily wage earning labours loose out on their livelihood, patients in need of medical attention miss out on treatments, commuters and travellers suffer too.
Strikes are troublesome and bad for the economy. Not only has it divides the sections of society, it also bring country’s growth to a halt. Since every work has a productive output and affecting it results in decreased productivity. The sectors such as banking, power and oil, coal & steel production, railways & other means of logistics are lifeline of country’s economy and any halt to this has a long impacting loss. In the crucial times when global economies have been struggling to grow, India is aiming to achieve a consistent growth rate around eight percent and therefore cannot afford downturn due to strikes and shutdowns which will be detrimental to its ambitions to scale up its growth. India economy which is aiming at 8 percent GDP growth by accelerating the infrastructure and manufacturing and other key sectors such as logistics and services cannot afford such bottlenecks.
Supporters of the strikes and shutdown might have the valid reasons for the protest but the truth is ill affect and losses suffered are too deep and has long lasting impact on the economy. According to the estimates of The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) the losses could be above Rs 15000 crores. No doubt protests are important and affective way to indulge into a dialogue and highlight the demands related to welfare and developments but often the arm twisting and slowdown results in deep wounds and losses which are economically way too costlier than the reforms for which the protest are performed.
