Trade strike gets mixed response in TN

The two-day nationwide strike called by the central trade unions received a mixed response in Tamil Nadu on Tuesday, said a senior leader of Labour Progressive Union (LPF).

"Members of our affliated unions have not attended duty. Nearly 50 per cent of the bus services in Chennai are not plying. In other cities, about 30-40 per cent buses are on the roads operated by members of the ruling party union," LPF General Secretary M. Shanmugam told IANS.

He said the response to the strike was positive from the unorganised sector like construction workers and others.

"The response for the strike call is good in industrial estates in Sriperumbudur and others. In some continuous process industries where shutdown is not possible like the power plants, workers are holding demonstration," Shanmugam said.

Asked about the absence of difference between the Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in their economic policies, Shanmugam said: "The Congress would atleast listen to us and act. But BJP does not listen to the workers."

Banking and insurance services in Tamil Nadu too were affected as the staff there are also striking work.

Inter-state bus services to Kerala and Karnataka were terminated at the border to prevent any untoward incidents.

--IANS

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