English Story

印度政府零售业改革激起大罢工

Opposition parties and trade unions in India are joining in a day-long strike over the government's plan to open the retail sector to global supermarket chains and other reforms.

印度政府向全球连锁超市开放零售业的计划与其它改革促使反对党与工会联合发起为期一天的罢工。
 
Early reports said that opposition workers had blocked railway tracks in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar states.
 
A key ally of the ruling coalition has pulled out of the government in protest at the plan.
 
Observers say the coalition's majority in parliament is not at immediate risk.
 
Thursday's nationwide strike, called by the main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), its allies and Communist parties, has shut down schools, businesses and public transport in many cities.
 
TV channels showed protests taking place in the cities of Patna, Allahabad and Varanasi in northern India.
 
Most businesses were shut in the eastern city of Calcutta and public transport was disrupted, reports said. 
 
The southern state of Karnataka, which is ruled by the BJP, was shut down in response to the strike call with buses off the roads and schools, hotels and commercial establishments closed.
 
The state capital, Bangalore - home to hundreds of IT companies including multinationals like IBM and Microsoft - was completely shut down. 
 
"The fear factor is the reason for the closure," a spokesperson for a multinational company told the BBC.
 
"We have asked our employees to stay back at home. We will instead work on Saturday," an official of Infosys, one of India's leading software companies, said.
 
The Confederation of All India Traders said 50 million people were expected to participate in the protests, and that large demonstrations were planned in Delhi and other cities.