THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Government employees who participate in the nation wide strikwe on March 28 and 29 are likely to lose their salaries. Participants in the general strike on January 8 and 9, 2019, were granted leave with pay, but their it was changed after the High Court intervened and canceled it. The situation will be similar this time. Although the closure of commercial and commercial establishments will reduce the government's direct revenue by about Rs 600 crore, it is likely to result in an increase of Rs 166 crore in two days' salaries of government employees. It has 5.6 lakh government employees and 6.13 lakh private employees.

Various bank employees 'unions, life insurance unions, farmers' and agricultural workers 'unions, port workers' unions, BSNL workers 'unions, teachers' unions, central and state government employees 'unions and railway workers' unions are participating in the strike. The banking sector is expected to be hardest hit by the strike.

The shops are likely to remain closed. There is no guarantee that petrol pumps will open. There will be no parallel services. Auto-taxi workers will also join the strike.

Bank transactions will be disrupted for four consecutive days, affecting the availability of cash at ATMs. But online transactions won't be affected. KSEB has set up a special system to prevent power outages.

The strike against the sale of public sector undertakings and for other demans will will begin at midnight today. Newspaper, milk, airport, fire and rescue such essential services have been excluded from the strike. Private vehicles are not barred and trains are allowed.