Union strike derails life in Kerala for 2nd day in row

Two employees of the state road transport corporation were roughed up in Thiruvananthapuram, workers of the state electricity board were attacked in Palakkad and a group of teachers were locked up in their school Kollam by strike supporters.

Life came to grinding halt in Kerala for the second consecutive day on Tuesday even as the high court directive barring government employees from joining the trade union strike failed to evoke any result as all offices remained shut throughout the state.

Stray incidents of violence were reported from many areas and attempts to open shops and business establishments were foiled at many places. (AP)

Stray incidents of violence were reported from many areas and attempts to open shops and business establishments were foiled at many places. Two employees of the state road transport corporation were roughed up in Thiruvananthapuram, workers of the state electricity board were attacked in Palakkad and a group of teachers were locked up in their school Kollam by strike supporters.

In the state capital, strike supporters laid a siege to the newly-opened Lulu Mall and disrupted its functioning. At many places those defied strike was dealt with physically and many complained that police remained mute spectators.

The two-day strike commenced on Sunday midnight will continue till Tuesday midnight, trade union leaders said adding that all co-operated well with the strike and it will help open eyes of the union government.

Meanwhile, the ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist) expressed serious reservations over the high court order and said decision to strike is a right of workers and the court has no role in it.

“Workers have every right to express their dissent. A couple of years ago four Supreme Court four judges protested openly and one of them was later elevated as the chief justice. Look, we won even freedom from colonial masters through struggle and strike,” said party secretary Koiyeri Balakrishnan.

Party Kannur district secretary MV Jayarajan, who once spent a week in jail for ridiculing a judge, went a step further saying that ghost of the British era remains in some judicial officers. “Workers have every right to strike work and for this they do not need permission from the court,” he said.

Though the ruling party takes enough pride in crippling the state investors and businessmen said such disruptive actions will undermine Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s initiative to bring investment to the state.

Economist B Prakash said in two days closure the state will be losing ₹4,380 crore revenue. Management expert G Vijayaraghavan said the timing of the strike was ill-timed as it unfolded in financial year- end and many firms will have to struggle to meet their target and objectives. He said among all Indian states only Kerala was crippled and it was not a credit, but a drawback that dents the state’s image.

The opposition BJP said both the Congress and CPI(M) joined hands to cripple the state for two days. “It was a government-sponsored force shutdown. People will give a befitting reply to such destructive tendencies,” said BJP state president K Surendran.

But the Congress said it was against violence and its trade union wing INTUC supported the strike against the daily dose of petroleum price hike.