Ten central trade unions (CTUs) have gone on a one-day nationwide strike against the government's "indifference" towards their demands and effecting "anti-worker" changes in labour laws.

Many people are facing the consequences of the strike, as per the media reports.According to ANI, protesters vandalised a NBSTC bus in Cooch Behar district, West Bengal and the Siliguri Municipal corporation Mayor Ashok Bhattacharya has been arrested along with 15 other protesters.

The unions have claimed that this year's strike will be bigger as the number of striking workers is expected to swell as much as 18 crore, larger than last year when around 14 crore workers participated.

Gurudas Das Gupta General Secreatary of All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) said, "Most important is control of inflation, particularly the food inflation, social security for the unorganised labour, minimum wage for all unorganised should be Rs. 18,000, road is an investment for profit making public sector, low margin of banks etc are the main demand on which we are going on strike."

Essential services such as banking, public transport and telecom will be affected by the strike.The CTUs will strike work protesting against what they call the government's apathy towards their 12-point charter of demands including a monthly minimum wage of Rs. 18,000, controlling price rise and assured minimum monthly pension of Rs. 3,000.

The unions have claimed that this year's strike will be bigger as the number of striking workers is expected to swell as much as 18 crore, larger than last year when around Rs 14 crore workers participated.

Image: The windshield of a bus in Coochbehar was damaged by protesters.