The general strike called by Congress-Left trade unions has hit the tourism sector in various parts of the country. The declaration for the strike was adopted in September last year by unions like INTUC, AITUC, HMS, CITU, AIUTUC, TUCC, SEWA, LPF, and UTUC.
Tourists and travellers were left stranded in various parts of Kerala, the state that is notorious for trade unionism. In an incident that brought shame to the country, left trade unionists stopped Nobel laureate and renowned biophysicist Michael Levitt, leaving him stranded in a houseboat in Alappuzha. A group of Leftists was blocking the boat in which Levitt and other foreign tourists were sailing. A Stanford University professor, Michael Levitt won the Nobel prize in Chemistry in 2013.
Earlier, the trade union leaders had promised that the tourism sector was exempted from the general strike. But it was not reflected on the ground today. As per reports, boats were stopped at several other places in Alappuzha.
When the IT sector across the state came to a standstill during the strike called by a section of trade unions including CPM’s CITU, Kerala Chief Minister’s daughter refused to succumb to the might of the trade unionism of the party. Exalogic Pvt Ltd, an IT firm run by T Veena, daughter of CPM leader and Kerala CM Vijayan, opened its office today and chose to work as usual. T Veena is the managing director of the firm. Even though the CPM and allied trade unions have little influence in Bengaluru, several IT employees from Kerala refused to work today in solidarity with the general strike. Even though several IT employees pledging allegiance with the Leftist trade unions participated in protest march organised in Freedom Park, the employees of Kerala chief minister’s daughter or her colleagues did not turn up.
Meanwhile in Kerala, the strikers forcibly shut down business firms, shops and banks.
