Buses run by state run transport corporations remained off the roads in most parts of Tamil Nadu hitting normalcy on Monday, the first day of the two-day nationwide strike by central trade unions.
In view of unavailability of buses, people were put to inconvenience and students in several places could be seen hitchhiking to schools and colleges and tourists in hill stations like Ooty had a tough time in finding other modes of transport services.
Private buses, autorickshaws and 'share' autorickshaws were crammed in several regions including Pudukottai and Dindigul and several complained of a steep increase in fares.
Operations in public sector banks were affected barring the State Bank of India and the Indian Overseas Bank, according to an All India Bank Officers' Association office-bearer. Also, a section of workers of a couple of scheduled private banks also took part in the strike, he told PTI.
The strike was marked by demonstrations by workers and bank employees affiliated to various unions at various parts of the state.
In Chennai, people flocked to suburban train stations, Metrorail and Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS) train stations to reach their destinations. Only state-run buses are allowed here unlike several other parts of the state. Barring a single route that connects suburban Poonamallee, private buses are not operational here.
A joint forum of central trade unions had given a call for a nationwide strike on March 28 and 29 to protest against the government policies affecting workers, farmers, and people.
Their demands include the scrapping of the labour codes, no privatisation in any form, scrapping of the National Monetisation Pipeline (NMP), increased allocation of wages under MNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee Act) and regularisation of contract workers among others.
