Partial response to strike call

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI, JULY 25. The one-day token strike, jointly called by Confederation of the Central Government Employees and Workers and the Tamil Nadu Government Employees Association (TNGEA) against the `anti- labour' policies of the Centre, evoked a partial response in the State.

While attendance in Central Government offices was near-normal, in State Government offices it varied between 40 and 50 per cent.

But union sources claimed that the strike was a success as a majority of employees participated in the protest, despite `coercion and threat by higher officials'.

However, normal work was reported in the railways, ports, banks, insurance companies and Central Government undertakings and, transport corporations as their employees did not join the strike. But they organised lunch-hour demonstrations in front of their offices, expressing solidarity with the striking employees.

Delivery and clearance of mail were not affected as nearly 90 per cent of the postal staff attended duty. The Anna Salai Post office in the city reported normal transaction at all its counters, according to Postal department sources.

Telephone and telegraph services were also normal and all fault complaints attended to by line staff, said a BSNL official. The strike had a minimum impact on Income Tax and Central Excise Departments, according to section heads.

Mr. M. Duraipandiyan, State secretary of the confederation, said the response was extremely good as employees willingly participated in the strike. More than 1100 employees working in Central Government offices in the Rajaji Bhavan here joined the strike. But the Central Government staff in the Sastri Bhavan did not participate though they organised demonstrations `condemning the policies of the Centre', he added.

Normal working in the agriculture, revenue, local administration, commercial tax, judicial and HR and CE departments were affected as a majority of employees abstained from duty, said a TNGEA office-bearer.

Teachers and non-teaching staff, working in aided and government colleges and many schools in the State, participated in the strike en masse, according to the Federation of College Employees' Association.

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Section  : Southern States
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