Shimla, Feb 28 (IANS): Banks and commercial establishments were closed in parts of Himachal Pradesh Tuesday after trade unions of central government employees joined the nationwide strike to protest violation of labour laws and privatisation.

Most private hotels, banks and government insurance companies and the state-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) shut offices as their employees went on a daylong strike. Employees of the Himachal Road Transport Corporation and over 30,000 'anganwadi' workers have also joined the shutdown.

But there has been no impact on road traffic as state-run buses are plying on normal routes, a government spokesperson told IANS here.

"There is a complete shutdown in private hotels, industries, banks, insurance companies, hydropower projects and various central and state government departments in the state," Jagat Ram, state president of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), told IANS. CITU is affiliated to the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M).

The impact of the strike was more in the state capital Shimla and in the Baddi-Barotiwala-Nalagarh industrial area in Solan district and Kala Amb in Sirmaur district.