The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Strike has little impact in Tamil Nadu

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Thursday, Aug 21, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Strike has little impact in Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu Bureau

But work in Central government offices, banking, insurance sectors hit

CHENNAI: The nationwide general strike called by Central trade unions did not affect normal life in Tamil Nadu, though its impact was felt in Central government offices, banking and insurance sectors.

Over 60,000 workers, including women, affiliated to the Left parties and Central trade unions were taken into custody for organising picketing, rail roko and road roko.

Picketing was held in 504 places and rail roko at 23 centres. One State transport corporation was damaged by agitators.

CPI MPs K. Subbarayan and M. Appadurai were among those who were arrested. In Chennai, CITU general secretary A. Soundararajan and AITUC general secretary S.S.Thiyagarajan and others were arrested.

Director-General of Police (Law and Order) K.P.Jain said but for a few stray incidents of road blockade and rail roko, there was no untoward incident in the State. “Attendance in [offices of] Tamil Nadu Transport Corporation, Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation and TNEB was 100 per cent,” he said. But trade unions and government employees unions maintained that various State government offices witnessed a sharp fall in attendance.

Operations in the installation of Indian Oil Corporation came to a standstill. Over 50 per cent of the workers of the BSNL Chennai Telephones kept away from work. Buses were operated, but transport workers affiliated to the CITU, AITUC and other Central unions did not report for duty.

The LIC was hit hard by the strike, according to the all India LIC Employees Federation. The employees also held a demonstration in front of the head office here. Bank Employees Federation of India secretary S.A. Rajendran said transactions in Tamil Nadu were affected with over 50,000 workers participating in the strike. In Tiruchi, banking operations in public sector banks, barring IOB and SBI, were completely hit.

Convener of JAC of College Teachers-Tamil Nadu U. Sundararajan said nearly 10,000 teachers held demonstrations at the district headquarters. Teachers and students boycotted colleges in Coimbatore and Udumalapet.

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