Normal life was affected here on Wednesday due to the nation-wide strike called by central trade unions against Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance Government’s anti-labour policies.
Activists of Left parties, members of trade unions owing allegiance to the Left parties, Congress, DMK, PMK, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi held agitations at arterial junctions of the city including Nehru Street, Indira Gandhi Statue and Rajiv Gandhi Statue.
They raised slogans against the Union government and UT Government for adopting anti-labour policies and tweaking labour laws in favour of corporates. Around 1,000 persons were arrested and taken into custody by police personnel.
V. Perumal, Vice-President, Centre of Indian Trade Union (CITU), Puducherry, said, “The BJP-led NDA Government failed to control the skyrocketing prices of essential commodities and attempting to crush the public distribution system (PDS) instead of strengthening it. We demand the Central government to stop the disinvestment of railway, defence, bank and insurance sectors.”
Communist Party of India (CPI), Puducherry Unit secretary R.Viswanathan said, “The Central Government should give up amending the labour laws and allowing foreign direct investment into retail trade. The government should fix Rs.15,000 as monthly salary to worker in order to ensure social security.
The Puducherry Government Employees Federation (PGEF) also resorted to a strike in solidarity with the Central Government Employees and Workers Federation, and to press for various demands of its own. They took out a procession from Kamban Kalairangam to Head Post Office. Around 500 of them courted arrest.
Most of traders, shop-keepers and commercial establishments downed the shutters in spite of the call given by the traders’ federation against the closure of shops.
Banking crippled
Banking activities were totally crippled as the All India Bank Employees’ Association called upon its members to participate in the strike. Several schools and educational institutions in the city remained closed while some private institutions were functioning as usual. Commuters who were heading to rural pockets were left stranded as the most of private bus operators did not operate their vehicles. Autos, share autos, tempos also kept off the roads.
A spokesman for the PRTC said a majority of the services were operated. Only the high-end Volvo buses were kept off the roads fearing stray stone throwing incidents.
The Grand Bazaar market, which houses a number of wholesale and retail vegetable outlets, looked empty as the traders kept off from their routine activities.
Similarly, shops on arterial roads including Jawaharlal Nehru Street, Mahatma Gandhi Street, Kamarajar Salai, Anna Salai, Mission Street and Bussy Street remained closed.
Most of the hotels, restaurants, eateries such as tea stalls, fruit stalls kept closed. Cinema theatres cancelled their shows. Police personnel were deployed at important junctions and market to avert any untoward incident.
Puducherry Govt. Employees Federation took out a procession from Kamban Kalaiarangam to the Head Post Office
