Flash strike by all trade unions, except the ruling party-affiliated Anna Thozhir Sangam, affected bus services in the Madurai region on Sunday.
Caught unawares, the passengers were inconvenienced by the sudden development as the trade unions had planned the strike only from Monday. The striking employees staged a sit-in protest in the 15 bus depots in the district till they were asked by the police to move out late in the evening. The employees were protesting the inordinate delay of 15 months by the State government to start talks on revision of wages under a new agreement. Similarly, dearness allowance increase had not been given for over 15 months, CITU leader R. Vasudevan said.
Tension mounted in the depots in the city in the afternoon when AIADMK men, including a few councillors, started gathering there to escort their trade union representatives in driving out the buses. However, when the protesting union members objected to their presence, the police asked the ruling party men to leave.
However, mini buses, share auto-rickshaws and train services came to the rescue of the people. Unreserved coaches of trains were overcrowded, a police officer said.
Without the operation of normal bus services, roads wore a deserted look. While a TNSTC official said half of the 1,037 buses were operated, Mr. Vasudevan said only a few were plied. However, the buses to interior places were withdrawn after the dusk, fearing attack.
Windshields of six buses, including an SETC bus, were damaged in stray incidents.
