MYSORE: Sudhir, a daily wage earner, commutes from Chamarajanagar to eke out a living at the APMC Yard in Mysore. After sweating it out for nearly eight hours, he earns between Rs. 150 and Rs. 200 a day.

A portion of the money goes for his lunch and breakfast, while he skips the evening tea and snacks to save a small amount for his family members. But Sudhir has been jobless for the past two days owing to the strike launched by traders against the Government's move to amend the APMC Act.

Like Sudhir and his family members, there are nearly 7,000 workers in Mysore alone who have no work now owing to the strike, while there are 3,000 more who are depending indirectly on trading at the APMC Yard here for sustenance. They could be drivers of trucks and other goods vehicles, daily wage earners at the RMC Yard, local dhaba operators and their staff, petty hotel owners and a host of other ancillary service providers whose existence revolves around the functioning of the APMC Yard.

In all, nearly 10,000 families have been affected and their condition could worsen if the strike continues. The strike may not end soon given the determination of traders not to budge an inch till the Government calls them for negotiations and drops the proposed amendment to the APMC Act.

Meanwhile, the APMC yard in Mysore wears a deserted look. The weighing machines are idle and scores of trucks and lorries are stationed at the entrance as loading and unloading operations have been suspended. Nearly 200 shops on the yard have downed shutters. Traders have promised workers that their interests will not be affected. But workers are among the worst affected. However, traders aver that food and breakfast will be provided to workers. "Each worker will get five kg of rice and one kg of dal for his family members during the strike period," according to Prakash, director of APMC.

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