Tension gripped the unit of Aurobindo Pharma Ltd in Srikakulam district on Wednesday with workers observing a day’s strike in protest against the policies of the management.

For more than five hours, workers assembled at the main gate and protested against the management under the leadership of the CITU.

Later, they staged a demonstration and disrupted traffic on the National Highway No. 5 for half-an-hour. They raised slogans against the management.

The workers said the management had brought in 24 new workers on Wednesday while the regular workers were on strike.

The police intervened and held several rounds of talks and finally after 1 p.m., the new workers were asked to stop work, mitigating the tension.

The CITU leaders warned that they would intensify the stir, if the management did not change its policies.