Trade union strike disrupts normal life in Kerala, transport services hit

The nationwide strike called by trade unions against the Centre's Labour Codes brought normal life to a standstill across Kerala on Thursday. Though the state government declared a dies-non for government employees, attendance at offices was expected to remain low as transport vehicles remained off the roads. The General Administration Department of the state government issued an order stating that unauthorised absence of an officer on account of the strike shall be treated as ''dies-non''. The pay for the day on which the strike is taking place will be withheld from the salary if officials do not report for duty, the order said. No leave would be granted to teachers and government employees except in cases of personal illness or illness of close relatives, examinations, maternity leave or other unavoidable reasons, the order added. Apart from government offices, shops and businesses were also likely to remain closed due to the nationwide 24-hour strike. Travellers were among the worst affected, with KSRTC and private buses remaining off the roads. Auto-rickshaw unions also announced that they would not operate during the strike. ''I have been waiting for a KSRTC bus since 6 am to return home to Kanjiramattom after my night duty. But no buses are operational. I will wait for a few more hours before going to the railway station to catch a local train to reach my destination,'' a passenger told reporters in Kochi. Passengers arriving by train from other states at various railway stations were also affected, and police operated buses at some stations to assist stranded travellers. With the Sabarimala temple set to open for the Meenam month pooja on Thursday evening, KSRTC officials said a few Pampa services would operate from Thiruvananthapuram, Chengannur, Kottayam, Pathanamthitta and Thiruvalla to facilitate pilgrims. Meanwhile, Kochi Metro and online taxi services remained operational, offering limited relief to commuters in the city. Though no incidents of violence were reported in connection with the strike in the morning, police personnel were deployed across the state to intervene in case of any untoward incidents. Trade unions said rallies and meetings would be held in all districts.