The Hindu : Strike hits banking transactions

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Feb 25, 2004

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Other States - Pondicherry

Strike hits banking transactions

By Our Tamil Nadu Bureau

PONDICHERRY, FEB. 24. The one-day general strike, called by trade unions in support of right to strike, evoked mixed response in Pondicherry today. Workers of various trade unions affiliated to the Left parties were arrested at several points for attempting to picket some institutions or stage road roko.

The secretary of the CPI (Marxist), T. Murugan, the State CPI secretary, N. Kalainathan, the general secretary of the CPI (ML), S. Balasubramanian, and the trade union leaders, R. Rajangam, V.S. Abishegam Perumal, and Jagannathan were courted arrest when they picketed thoroughfares.

Police pickets were posted at vantage pockets. Most of the shops and establishments functioned normally. Postal employees struck work and held a demonstration outside the Head Post office, a spokesman of a Postal Employees Union said. The BSNL employees also joined the strike. Banks did not function in most of the areas.

Vellore: Except in nationalised banks, the strike evoked partial response in Vellore and Tiruvannamalai districts. Eighty-six central government employees belonging to various unions were taken into preventive custody when they attempted to picket the Katpadi Road near the CMC Hospital exit gate.

Banking transactions in both the districts were totally paralysed. However, the cooperative banks functioned. Transactions in the Life Insurance Corporation and other nationalised insurance companies were also hit. A majority of postal employees struck work in Tirupattur division, whereas the strike was negligible in Vellore and Arakkonam divisions. About 500 workers participated in the strike in BHEL, Ranipet, against the total strength of about 2,700.

More than 1,000 central government employees staged a demonstration in front of the Telephone Bhavan, while hundreds of them staged a demonstration in front of the Head Post Office here.

Cuddalore: Work in public sector undertakings in Cuddalore and Villupuram districts were affected. The functioning of the banking and insurance sectors was also paralysed. About 600 employees in both the districts were arrested. They were released later.

The district secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), S. Dhanasekaran, alleged in a statement that the Pennadam police attacked two of the party functionaries when they participated in a demonstration. However, the police sources refuted the allegation.

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