THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The round-the-clock general strike called by various trade unions was total in the state. The workers were protesting against the Central Government order, allowing fixed-term employment across sectors. BMS did not participate in the strike.
The Kerala State Road Transport Corporation did not operate any service. Private buses, autorickshaws and taxis kept off from the road though private vehicles were allowed to ply.Shops, restaurants, schools and colleges remained closed. Government offices, including the Secretariat and district collectorates, recorded a very low attendance.
Stray incidents of violence were reported from different parts of the state when striking workers blocked autorickshaws and taxis which moved around. Police arranged transportation connecting major district centres and hospitals. In Thiruvananthapuram, striking workers let off air from the tyres of an autorickshaw that carried two foreign tourists to a hotel. The incident drew sharp criticism from different quarters.
The capital city police arranged transportation for those who disembarked at the central railway station to the Regional Cancer Centre and other hospitals on the medical college hospital campus.