Millions of workers in India are staging a 24-hour strike to demand improved rights for employees and to protest over rising prices...[The] strike, one of the biggest in recent times, is being backed by all 11 major trade unions in the country, including the left affiliated All India Trade Union Congress [AITUC] and Indian National Trade Union Congress [INTUC] linked to ruling Congress party…Transport, banking and postal services were all hit by the strike...with port operations also shut down...Last week, the country's labour minister, said the government was ready for talks on any labour-related issues...But AITUC leader Gurudas Dasgupta rejected it saying, "The government had enough opportunity earlier to sit with unions to discuss the issues".