Nationwide strike hits banking ops in State

Bus services and road transport were not affected, the police said. Southern Railway sources said train services, including the suburban network here, were not impacted due to the stir. While shops and commercial establishments remained open, banking services were partially affected.

According to bank unions, some public and private sector bank employees participated in the dawn-to-dusk strike. All India Bank Employees Union General Secretary C H Venkatachalam said banking services were largely affected in the State. Cash could not be deposited or withdrawn while many ATMs did not function, he said.

To a query, he said that bank services were affected in Tamil Nadu except those of the State Bank of India as it has stayed away from the bandh. “Cheques clearing and all other banking services were affected in Tamil Nadu,” he claimed.

In Chennai, normal life remained largely unaffected in the city save for banking operations. In the city, the MTC buses and auto rickshaws were seen plying. 

However, the unions claimed that only skeletal service of the public buses were operated, with the drivers and conductors staying away from work in the wake of the strike.  

Members of various trade unions staged a road roko on Anna Salai bringing traffic to a halt. As the protesters squatted on the arterial road blocking vehicular traffic, the police forcibly removed them in official vehicles.

On Anna Salai, VCK president and MP Thol Thirumavalavan, LPF general secretary and Rajya Sabha MP M Shanmugham, and CITU State president A Soundararajan along with other trade union leaders were detained by the police. 

They raised slogans demanding the reversal of the anti-worker, anti-people, and anti-national policies of the government. Similarly, CPM politburo member G Ramakrishnan along with party workers were detained at Tiruvottiyur for staging a road roko.

The Central trade unions observed the bandh protesting against labour reforms, FDI, disinvestment, corporatisation and privatisation policies of the government. They pressed for a 12-point common demands of the working class relating to minimum wage and social security, among others.

Normal life was affected here following a 12-hour bandh called by the trade unions, which evoked a near total response on Wednesday. All shops and business establishments remained closed as well as public means of transport remained off the road.  The Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC)-owned buses were passing through Puducherry with police escort. Government offices-both Central and State-registered less attendance and several industrial units remained closed. While several schools declared a holiday for the day, engineering colleges and the Pondicherry university were functioning with poor attendance. Cinema houses here suspended morning and noon shows and petrol bunks remained closed. The police made elaborate arrangements to maintain law and order during the day and as many as 700 police personnel were deployed for security duty. 

The Tamil Nadu Directorate of School Education has instructed the management of all State-run schools to prepare the list of those teachers who had participated in the nationwide strike called by various associations that took place on Wednesday.

The strike called by trade unions began early on Wednesday, with workers from several sectors joining in the protest. Though the protest largely did not affect normalcy, there were sporadic demonstrations held in Chennai and other districts. 

With a senior official from the School Education department informing DT Next that trade unions had invited various teachers’ associations to participate in the strike as a mark of solidarity, a consolidated report on the attendance position in respect to the teaching staff working in government and government-aided schools in the State has been sought.

“Accordingly, a circular has been issued to all the State-run schools across Tamil Nadu to compile the list of teachers who had participated in the protest on Wednesday,” the official added. The official further said the schools have to accordingly produce the total strength of teachers, the number of faculty on leave with prior sanction, and the percentage of staff members who did not attend without prior sanction.

“If any of the government teachers has not attended the school consequent of his/her participation in the proposed all-India strike on January 8, the period of absence has to be considered as unauthorised and they are entitled to the pay and allowances on the basis of the principle of ‘No work, no pay’ as per the instruction issued in the government order,” the official pointed out. The official also said that the part-time government teachers will be liable to be discharged from service.

As a part of the nationwide strike, employees’ unions in the central region of the State on Wednesday staged protests at various places and organised rallies against the anti-labour policies and privatisation of PSUs.

In Tiruchy, around 100 protesters converged in front of the railway junction and attempted to block the Jan Shatabdi Express. They were, however, prevented entry into the station and were arrested. 

Further, a section of trade union members staged a road roko near the head post office resulting in around 300 being arrested. Meanwhile, hundreds of employees of BHEL assembled on the premises and raised slogans against the Centre’s anti-workers’ policy and the plans of privatising PSUs.

In Tiruvarur, protesters reached the railway station and blocked the Ernakulam Express over similar demands. Around 100 persons, including 13 women, were arrested.

In Thanjavur, more than 2000 people were held for staging protests. Similar protests were held in the districts of Pudukkottai, Perambalur, Ariyalur and Karur.

Around 1,300 members of various trade unions, including Members of Parliament PR Natarajan and K Subbarayan, were arrested for staging a protest as part of the nationwide strike to condemn the Centre’s economic and anti-labour policies in the district, on Wednesday.

The protesters, gathering in front of the District Collector’s office, raised slogans demanding to control inflation, raise minimum wages to at least Rs 21,000 and provide other benefits like PF and bonus, and to stop privatisation of public entities.

Traffic was disrupted on the busy stretch for over an hour due to the protest. Though normalcy was not affected in Western districts as public transport and auto rickshaws plied as usual, the inter-State bus services between Tamil Nadu and Kerala were suspended.   

As an effect, the Ukkadam bus terminus wore a deserted look as around 27 buses plying to Kerala were halted. Also, buses from Pollachi to Kerala were stopped at Gopalapuram, Meenatchipuram, Nadupuni and Govindapuram check posts on the Tamil Nadu border.

Similarly, over 2,500 lorries bound for Kerala carrying construction materials, vegetables and coconuts were stopped to avoid any untoward incident. More than 5,000 people, who are dependent on the transportation business, were thereby rendered jobless.

In Salem district, around 670 people were arrested for a road roko in front of the Collector’s office. Similarly, in Namakkal, 275 persons were arrested, while it was 800 persons in Dharmapuri and 771 persons in Krishnagiri district.

The protesting trade union members said that if the Centre fails to enforce labour-friendly laws, they would further intensify their agitations.

As many as 780 members affiliated to various trade unions courted arrest in Madurai Central on Wednesday after they involved in a stir at the railway junction as part of the nationwide strike.  

During the protest, the members raised slogans against the Centre and urged not to go ahead with the proposal to privatise public sector undertakings (PSUs). Another protest by CPI(M) cadre and its affiliated trade unions at Tallakulam here saw nearly 280 persons getting arrested. The demonstration was led by MP S Venkatesan, sources said. 

Normalcy at various Central government organisations was hit as many employees joined the strike. Except private and scheduled banks, transactions in most of the nationalised banks were affected. However, public transport rendered service as usual in parts of southern districts, sources said.

In Thoothukudi, many employees affiliated to CITU and other trade unions boycotted work at VOC Port and joined the strike. R Russell, State secretary of CITU, who led the agitation, said cargo movement came to a halt as trucks remained off roads. Owing to the stir, the sea port suffered revenue loss to the tune of Rs 15 crore, sources said.