Trade unions’ strike hits Chennai traffic and interstate bus service

CHENNAI: With members of 13 trade unions staging a road blockade as part of the nationwide strike called by central trade unions and federations pressing for a 17-point charter of demands, traffic came to a standstill near the General Post Office on Anna Salai on Tuesday morning.

Hundreds of workers gathered under the banner of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), DMK's LPF and AITUC and allied organisations, condemning the Centre's policies, which they alleged had triggered widespread unemployment, inflation, and erosion of social security. Police detained several protestors briefly before clearing the area.

CITU state president A Soundararajan, addressing the demonstrators, said over 30 crore workers across India had joined the strike. “The new labour codes destroy job security and undermine existing labour protections. Inflation is skyrocketing. Petrol prices in India are higher than in Pakistan. This is unacceptable,” he said.

State-wide, thousands of workers blocked rail and road traffic, with arrests reported in several districts. The strike received robust support from employees in banking, insurance, income tax, and state-run services.

Meanwhile, interstate bus services from Coimbatore to Kerala were suspended on Wednesday due to the strike.

Passengers faced hardships as around 50 Kerala State Road Transport Corporation buses were not operating from the Ukkadam bus terminus in Coimbatore since morning. Buses operated from Gandhipuram also stayed off the road. Similarly, the buses from Kerala to Coimbatore also remained suspended. A majority of the autos affiliated with trade unions stayed off the road. However, the buses were operated as usual in Coimbatore and neighbouring districts.

Due to disruptions in bus services, the trains running between Kerala and Coimbatore witnessed a heavy crowd.