Day 1 of strike, transport services normal, bank, insurance work hit

“The frequency of buses was more than normal on Tuesday. Likewise, share autos and autos also operated their normal service. There was no disruption throughout the day,” K Anbazhagan, a regular commuter said.

CITU working president P Balakrishnan, said, “The MTC crew attached to 14 transport unions abstained from regular work. The workers affiliated to the ruling party were plying the regular service. We can see the effect of a strike only if it sustains more than three days.”

A top official attached to the MTC said, “Around 3,300 buses were operated registering 95 per cent of the buses on the road. We operated additional services.”

However, the Chennai Motor Vehicle Workers Transport Union, B Anbazhagan, said, “A skeletal service was maintained along the main routes including Guindy, OMR, Injambakkam, Porur, ECR and Mogappair. On Wednesday, majority of drivers will participate in the rail roko at Guindy. This might hamper the movement of the public.”

Around 14 transport unions including the LPF, CITU, HMS, AITUC and others took part in the nationwide strike against the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Bill, 2017.

Transport Commissioner C Samyamoorthy, said, “The public was not affected as the normal vehicular movement was maintained throughout the day. The strike went off peacefully.”

Interstate bus services hit

However, in the western districts, interstate bus services from Coimbatore to Kerala and to Karnataka from Hosur in Krishnagiri district remained suspended due to the strike. 

Passengers faced hardships as some Kerala bound buses were operated from Coimbatore only till Tamil Nadu border. A majority of autos affiliated to trade unions stayed off the road. As 70 per cent of the 5,000 autos did not operate in Salem district, the parents took their children by individual vehicles to schools and colleges. Around 2,500 lorries to Kerala weren’t operated.

Road blockade, rail roko in Central districts

Members of AITUC, CITU, LPF, INTUC, AICCTU, HMS took out a rally across the Central districts. Meanwhile, the members of the Tamil Nadu farmers association tried to stage rail roko in Thanjavur demanding waiver of loans by the commercial banks. Following this, 22 farmers were arrested. In Kumbakonam railway station 26 persons who tried to block trains were arrested. In Tiruvaiyaru 16 were arrested for road blockades. Similarly 20 in Sengippatti and 22 in Papanasam were arrested.

While, 100 per cent of employees struck work in insurance companies including LIC, cooperative banks too suffered.

More than 40 per cent of Postal employees too supported the strike affecting work. EB and Income Tax officials too took partconsiderably.