Date:19/08/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/08/19/stories/2008081953900400.htm

Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

Strike to affect life in State

Staff Reporter

Road traffic, train services to be hit

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Vehicular traffic and train services in the State are likely to be disrupted on account of the 24-hour nation-wide strike called by the Central trade unions from Tuesday midnight, demanding abolishing of tax on petroleum products and streamlining of the public distribution system and in protest against the alleged anti-people policies of the Union government.

Various trade unions and all-India federations of banks, insurance companies, State and Central government employees, Railways, the defence and telecom sectors, airlines and airports are participating in the strike.

Exemptions

The trade unions had exempted essential services such as newspapers, milk, ambulance services and hospitals from the strike. Kanam Rajendran, convener of the sponsoring committee of the trade unions, said the agitating employees would picket trains in all districts, except Idukki and Wayanad, on Wednesday. The public had been asked to avoid travel and to support the strike.