Chennai: Normal life was largely unaffected in Tamil Nadu on Friday during the nationwide strike by major trade unions protesting against the central government's anti-labour and economic policies.
A majority of shops remained open and public transport buses plied on the roads, though in fewer numbers. Educational institutions functioned as usual and school buses were plying freely on the roads.
Banking operations were hit by and large although branches of SBI and IOB were operational in many places since the banks' unions had pulled out at the last minute of the strike.
A joint statement issued by all the trade unions supporting the strike in the State claimed that 30 lakh workers participated in the strike and one lakh workers got arrested for taking part in road and rail blockades. The police, however, said that a little over 27,000 protesters were arrested across the state.
According to Chennai police, a total of 3,043 people including 249 women were arrested. They were released later. “The response to the strike call has been encouraging. Banking services were mostly paralysed. Basic banking services were affected across the country,” said C.H. Venkatachalam, general secretary, AIBEA in a statement on Friday.
Though the Left parties took out protest rallies in different parts of the State, public transport was by and large not disturbed in Chennai and most major towns. In Chennai, most educational institutes, shops, private offices and public services were functioning normally.
The ruling AIADMK’s labour wing did not participate in the strike. Officials said essential services were maintained and members of ‘Anna Thozhirsanga Peravai’, the AIADMK backed trade union, operated buses. According to reports, inter-state buses from TN to Kerala were stopped at the border as the protest in the left-ruled Kerala was total.
Strike did not affect public transport
As part of the strike by 10 trade unions all over India on September 2, a rail roko was organized by the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), the DMK-affiliated Labour Progressive Federation (LPF) and the All India Trade Union Congress (AITC) at Guindy railway station on Friday morning, but failed to gather steam.
Rail services continued as normal. “Despite police barricading the railway station entries on both sides, about 2,000 of us managed to enter the station for the rail roko. It did not last for over 25 minutes,” said CITU member S. Gavaskar.
However, as auto drivers pledged support to the bandh, life came to a standstill for school goers and regular auto users.
