Banking operations affected in TN, traffic normal

Normal life was not largely affected in Tamil Nadu owing to the nationwide strike called by the central trade unions, but the banking operations in the public sector banks were impacted on Wednesday.

In Tamil Nadu, the public transport buses and auto rickshaws were seen plying on the roads.

However, the number of buses on the roads was relatively lower as compared to the normal days.

The Kerala-bound buses were either not operated or stopped within the Tamil Nadu borders.

The members of various trade unions held protests on Anna Salai here.

About 15,000 police personnel have been deployed at railway/bus stations and other public places in Chennai.

Workers in private sector belonging to the striking unions showed their protest without affecting the production schedule.

In a statement issued here the General Secretary of All India Bank Employees' Association (AIBEA) C.H. Venkatachalam said banking transactions were greatly affected across the country.

He said in many places automatic teller machines (ATM) did not function and cash could not be deposited in bank branches.

"Cheques could not be sent to the Clearing House. In the Clearing Grids across the country, about 28 lakh cheques worth about Rs 21,500 crores could not be cleared due to the strike. Employees joined the strike with enthusiasm and expressing their anger against the government's policies," he said.

Similarly, work was affected in the four public sector general insurance companies where employees participated in the strike.

In a statement K. Govindan, General Secretary, General Insurance Employees All India Association (GIEAIA) urged the Central government to resolve the labour issues and drop the move of amending the Labour Laws in favour of the corporate sector. The association is participating in the strike alongwith members of two other unions -- All India Insurance Employees' Association (AIIEA) and Bharathiya Vima Karmachari Sena (BVKS).IANS