The 24-hour general strike called by various trade unions demanding rollback of a recent Central Government order permitting fixed-term employment in all sectors threw normal life out of gear in Kerala on Monday.
Trading houses, shops and commercial establishments across the State remained closed while the public transport system came to a total halt with private and State-owned KSRTC buses besides taxis and autorikshaws keeping off the roads. However, private vehicles could be seen on the roads in cities and large towns.
Central and State Government offices and industrial establishments recorded only skeletal attendance. However, the strike did not have much impact on the functioning of offices at IT facilities like Technopark in Thiruvananthapuram and Infopark in Kochi as companies functioning at the facilities had arranged own transport services for their employees.
Even the Secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram, nerve-centre of State administration, did not see many employees reporting on duty and even Ministers also kept off their offices. “It is a Government-sponsored shutdown,” complained a commuter in Thiruvananthapuram. “But you can’t fault the trade unions entirely considering the gravity of the reason for protest,” he said.
Hundreds of cancer patients and relatives bound for the Regional Cancer Centre (RCC) in Thiruvananthapuram had a harrowing time as transportation was not available from the main railway station and bus station at Thampanoor in the city. The police, however, did a commendable job by taking as many people as possible to the RCC in their vehicles.
The people who had disembarked at different railway stations in the State faced difficulties in undertaking their onward journeys as buses, taxis or autorikshaws were unavailable. Functioning of banks was also affected across the State. However, most people confined themselves to their homes as the strike call had been given several days ago.
The 24-hour general strike called by 16 trade unions under the banner of Joint Trade Unions had started at midnight Sunday.
The strike virtually became a State-wide bandh with traders joining by keeping their shops closed in support of the trade unions’ cause.
Though the strike was total in the State, not many untoward incidents were reported from anywhere. However, minor troubles like agitators deflating tyres of autorikshaws in occurred in Thiruvananthapuram city and some other places. Foreign tourists could be seen protesting lack of transport facilities and restaurants in Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram.