Chennai (PTI): More than 10,000 CITU and members of other Left-affiliated unions were arrested across Tamil Nadu today for trying to stage road and rail blockades while the nation-wide strike called by them evoked little response.

The strike called to protest the soaring inflation and prices of fuel and essential commodities failed to have any impact as normal life remained unaffected.

All public transport services were operated as usual while industrial establishments reported normal attendance.

Work in the public sector banking and insurance sectors was partially affected with sections of the employees taking part in the strike.

Tamil Nadu Government Employees Association Secretary R Muthusundaram in a release claimed that more than two lakh employees participated in the agitation.

In Chennai, four private airlines cancelled their flights from the city to Kolkatta this morning following reports of total strike in the Left-ruled West Bengal. All other flights were operated on schedule.

The wholesale Koyambedu market, the supplier of vegetables to the city and suburbs, functioned as usual.

CITU state Secretary A Sounderajan and CPI(M) MLA Mahendran were among those arrested in Chennai, while CITU organising secretary Vikraman along with 1,700 others were arrested in front of the Madurai Railway Junction.

A report from Coimbatore said over 6,500 people, including 900 women were arrested for either trying to stage road-blockade or picketing in and around the temple city.

It said around 70 per cent of the 3,000 hosiery units functioned as usual in the garment export hub of Tirupur, considered to be a bastion of Left trade unions.