New Delhi, Sep 3 (KNN) Central Government has claimed that the overall life and business remained normal in most parts of the country in wake of one day countrywide strike called by Central Trade Unions.

Important sectors like Railways, Civil aviation and Major Ports remained unaffected. Banking and Insurance, Coal, Telecom and Defence production were partially affected while Transport and Steel were marginally affected.

Labour Ministry said that while Kerala and Tripura were affected Odisha, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka and Chhattisgarh were partially affected. In other states strike’s impact remained negligent.

No report of loss of life or property was reported from any part of the country.

Industry body Assocham pegged the cost to the economy+ at Rs 16,000-18,000 crore from the one-day stir, call for which was given by ten central unions to protest against what they called the government's "indifference" to workers demands for better wages and facilities and the "anti-worker" changes in labour laws.

CITU said in a statement that Trinamool government in West Bengal used the brutal force of its police as well as its goons to physically attack the workers on strike. There were clashes in several districts as workers resisted the use of force.

It further said, "Section 144 was imposed in several industrial areas as in Gurgaon, Faridabad in Haryana, Nodia etc. 12 workers of Maruti Suzuki and 22 transport union leaders were arrested in Gurgaon; police went to workers' residential areas in Gurgaon to coerce contract workers who were on strike, to join work." (KNN Bureau)