Members of various unions staging a road blockade near the head post office in Salem on Tuesday. (right) Bank employees staging a demonstration in Salem on Tuesday. — Photos: E. Lakhmi Narayanan and P. Goutham

The nation-wide general strike called by the National Trade Union Convention of various Central Trade unions passed off peacefully in Salem and Namakkal districts with no untoward incidents reported from any part on Tuesday.

While the banking operations remained totally paralysed, tiny and medium industrial units recorded poor attendance. Buses and trains plied as usual and all government offices had functioned normally. Traffic was disrupted at many places in the Salem city and other parts in these two districts following road blockades by trade union activists and demonstrations. Police arrested 2000 workers who were released later.

While banking operations had come to a standstill, officers and employees attached to a union of State Bank of India did not join the strike. Offices of BSNL wore a deserted look as a majority of the workers did not turn up. Similarly, since a majority of the bank employees kept away, transactions could not be held. Many of the employees in Central Government offices joined the strike.

The participants in the agitation raised slogans against the steep price hike, anti-labour policies, disinvestment decision, withdrawal of new pension scheme, job losses, rampant violation of labour rules and lack of protection to unorganised workers. The transport of essential commodities, however, remained unaffected.

Police had made elaborate security arrangements, both in the city and rural pockets, to prevent any untoward incidents.

The unions that called for a strike included INTUC, CITU, AITUC, HMS and AICCTU, BSNLEU, FNTO, SNEA and AIBEA and unions in the unorganised sector.

Source: THE HINDU