Women’s protest hits traffic on Chennai-B’luru NH for 8 hours

Tension prevailed on National Highway near Sunguvarchatram on Friday night after hundreds of women workers of a private mobile manufacturing unit took to protest after many of them were hospitalised after taking the food provided to them.

More than 1,000 women workers of the Foxconn manufacturing unit near Sriperumbudur, staying in various hostels in the locality, came out on the street after receiving a message on WhatsApp groups that eight of the affected workers had died without responding to treatment.

Police said the shocked workers contacted the administration but there was no response. Soon, they gathered on Chennai-Bengaluru NH and staged a road roko. The police tried to pacify them but the agitators refused to disperse without updates on the hospitalised workers. They claimed they were not provided hygienic food and workers are often falling ill.

Kancheepuram Collector Dr M Aarthi visited the spot and informed them that all eight workers are safe and four have been discharged. The Collector said action will be taken against those who spread false news.

Due to the protest, the traffic on the NH was affected for more than eight hours. Later, ministers TM Anbarasan and VC Ganesh met the workers and ordered the firm to announce paid holiday to the affected for nine days.

Traffic affected as crew protest school students hurling stones

Tension prevailed in Otteri on Saturday afternoon after some private school students hurled stones at an MTC bus injuring the conductor and a passenger after being asked not to travel on the footboard.

Protesting the incident that happened around 3 pm, crew from other buses stopped the vehicles which hit traffic on Strahan’s Road and affected bus passengers and motorists. On information, police officers rushed to the spot and held talks with the protesting MTC crew after which they dispersed.

The students had boarded the bus plying between Anna Square and Perambur (route No 29A) at the Doveton bus stop. As they were hanging from the footboard of the moving bus and even tried to climb atop the bus, conductor Karthik warned them. But they refused to pay heed and instead made fun of him.

When the bus reached Strahan’s Road, Karthik scolded the students again. Irked by this, they got down and hurled stones at the windshield. The crew immediately stopped the bus and staged a protest, and were soon joined by the other MTC crew, leading to vehicle pile-up on the road.