Vehicular traffic came to a standstill at many important junctions across Kerala on Monday following a 15-minute motor strike called by the Joint Action Committee of Trade Unions to protest against the hike in price of the petroleum products by oil majors.
At designated points, trade union leaders led the strike and halted their vehicles in the road corridors for 15 minutes from 11 a.m. in response to the call given by the joint action committee. Several motorists were caught in traffic snarls as auto rickshaws, taxies, lorries and private stage carriers stopped the vehicles and the drivers joined the stir.
Kunhalikutty leads stir
Ambulances and those shifting the sick to hospitals were avoided from the strike. At PMG junction in the capital city, IUML leader and former Minister P. K. Kunhalikutty inaugurated the protest.
CITU, AITUC, INTUC, AITUC, HMS, STU, UTUC, SEWA, TUCC, TUCI, KTUC, JLU, JTU are part of the joint committee of 21 trade unions that called for the protests. The strike comes amidst the price of premium petrol crossing ₹100 per litre last week in many districts in Kerala and that of petrol and diesel nearing the ₹100 per litre mark.