Trade union bandh gets Opposition support

PUDUCHERRY: The opposition trade unions will hold a dawn-to-dusk bandh on Thursday, seeking a judicial probe by a High Court judge into the recent violence at Regency Ceramics in Yanam which claimed the life of a union leader, M S Murali Mohan. The leaders of trade unions, AITUC, CITU, AICCTU, TUCC, UTUC and BMS, in a joint statement appealed to the various sections of the people to support the bandh.Meanwhile, a resolution was adopted by the Chamber De Commerce to keep the shops and business establishments open. In the meeting, chaired by Chamber de Commerce president K A Shanmugarajan and attended by other office bearers, they requested chief minister N Rangasamy to ensure protection to the shops.The meeting also cited a reason that the business establishments were very badly affected by cyclone Thane. Rangasamy had asked the Dy Inspector General of Police Atul Katiyar to provide adequate security for the shops and other establishments which would stay open.Criticising the Regency Ceramics Ltd decision to declare a lock out, the trade union leaders said the government should take over the Regency Ceramics and take action against the company for its decision.The opposition political parties have also extended their support to the bandh call by the trade unions. INTUC, which participated in the meetings to decide on the bandh, however, withdrew their support to it following the assurance by  Rangasamy that a decision on further probe into Yanam violence would be taken after the receipt of magisterial enquiry report. The AIADMK was noncommittal on the support as its top leadership did not receive any instructions from party general secretary and Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa. The bandh would be held in all the four regions of the UT.Besides judicial probe by a High Court judge, the trade unions sought a solatium of `25 lakh to the family of the union leader and those injured in police firing.