Chennai, Jan 8 (IANS): Operations in major ports in south India, barring Chennai Port and also in Odisha, came to a standstill on Wednesday owing to the nationwide strike called by central trade unions against the "anti-labour policies" of the Central government, said a leader of a major union of port workers.

"Port operations in Tuticorin Port (now called V.O. Chidambaranar Port), Cochin Port in Kerala and the Pradip Port in Odisha came to a standstill. The strike was complete in these ports," Narendra Rao, General Secretary, Water Transport Workers' Federation of India told IANS.

He said that the operations at Chennai Port were not affected as the workers belonging to the unions did not participate.

"We had no strike in the Port. We had discussion with the unions. We had requested the unions not to participate in the strike in the interests of the Port and they also agreed to that," P. Raveendran, Chairman, Chennai Port Trust told IANS.