New Delhi ( CNN ) -- A one-day strike by India 's unions closed businesses and slowed public transit Tuesday as workers protested rising prices and what they say are the government 's anti-labor policies . Several markets were shuttered in West Bangal , a formerly communist-ruled state seen as a hotbed of union activity , residents said . `` Traffic is also very light , '' said Sikha Sengupta , a retired executive in Kolkata , West Bengal 's capital . However , state police reported that government offices were functioning as usual . In the southern province of Kerala , the strike hit government-run transport services hard , authorities said . Most marketplaces in the state were also closed , Kerala police spokesman S. Sudhir said . Government offices were open , he added . Nationally , there was little impact on private services and there was no major disruption in rail services across the sprawling nation . Eleven trade unions called the one-day work stoppage , including a group affiliated with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh 's ruling Congress party . Singh 's government faced massive street protests last year over its handling of corruption as a raft of scandals rocked his administration , now in its second term . Protesters are demanding social security coverage for workers in India 's massive informal labor sector , as well as an end to contract-based jobs . The unions also have warned the government against selling its stakes in state-run companies . `` We demand the government come out with proposals in relation to our demands , '' said G. Sanjeeva Reddy , president of the Indian National Trade Union Congress that is linked to Singh 's party . The strike appeared to have little impact in bustling New Delhi . The city 's ubiquitous taxis and auto rickshaws largely stayed off the roads , but other vehicles still packed the streets . While markets in the city remained open , at least one branch of the State Bank of India in New Delhi was hit hard by the strike , with senior executives picking up the slack . Services appeared normal at private banks .
Strikers demand job security , anti-inflation measures . Shutdown impacts government sectors . Private services remain near normal . Singh 's government under pressure over graft , rising prices .