The bandh call given by several trade unions on Wednesday did not affect normal life in Madurai district though more than 50 per cent of Central government employees abstained from work.
Buses and autorickshaws were plying as usual and all shops and commercial establishments remained open. Police personnel were posted at government offices to prevent agitators from stopping work.
Over 1,500 persons were arrested after they attempted to stage road roko and stop trains at several parts of the district as part of the nation-wide bandh.
Scores of people were arrested when they attempted to enter the railway stations in Madurai, Tirupparankundram and Sholavandan to stage a rail roko.
Demonstration
Members of several trade unions turned out in massive numbers at Jhansi Rani Park to stage a demonstration against the government’s move to privatise public sector undertakings and demanding a minimum wage of Rs. 15,000 a month.
Higher number of employees of Income Tax, Postal and Revenue departments participated in the strike.
The police said that over 50 per cent of employees in Central government departments and over 20 per cent of the workers in State government departments abstained from work.
Bank transactions were badly affected as over 60 per cent employees struck work, the police said.
Hundreds of railway employees affiliated to Southern Railway Mazdoor Union staged a demonstration demanding curtailment of prices of essential commodities, generation of employment, strict enforcement of labour laws and social security cover for all workers. Its divisional secretary J.M. Rafi led the protest.
General secretary of South Zone Insurance Employees’ Federation K. Swaminathan said that group three and four employees had not turned up for work en masse.
Addressing the protestors, he said that though the Union government was trying to encourage private players in insurance sector, at least two MNC insurance companies had wound up their operations in the country.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi giving up the Land Acquisition Bill was the first step towards the protestors’ victory against the anti-people and anti-labour policies of the Centre, Mr. Swaminathan added.
