Panaji, Jan 8 (IANS): Nearly a thousand members of Left-aligned trade unions staged a peaceful protest march here on Tuesday, in solidarity against "anti-worker policies" of the BJP-led NDA government.

The march was a part of activities organised by members of 10 central trade unions across India, which have called for the two-day general strike.

Apart from several banks, transport, industrial workforce unions, the Goa Government Employees Association has also joined the strike, forcing the state government to invoke the Essential Services Maintenance Act.

"We support the demands, including implementation of Seventh Pay Commission to all the corporations and autonomous bodies and implementation of defined pension scheme to all government employees," John Nazareth, president of the Goa Government Employees Association said.

"Through the two-day strike we aim to highlight the hardships the country's labour force, across sectors, have to undergo due to harsh anti-worker policies of the central government," CPI-M Goa General Secretary Christopher Fonseca told reporters here.