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Flash strike by railway staff leaves commuters stranded on rainy day

TNN Oct 20, 2012, 05.35AM IST

CHENNAI: A flash strike by a section of railway employees in the city, for more than an hour on Friday affected railway operations and stranded passengers. Members of the Southern Railway Mazdoor Union (SRMU) stayed away from the ticket counters in protest against the railways' decision to pay their bonus directly into their bank accounts. The union had demanded a direct cash payment.

Several passengers at Chennai Central and at many suburban stations reportedly missed their trains because of the delay in issuing tickets. Railway police were deployed at Central until routine operations resumed. However, a senior railway official said the protest by SRMU members resulted in only a slight delay at the ticket counters. "No trains were delayed," he said.