No respite for travellers in TN as bus strike enters fifth day
Striking employees of road transport corporations have refused to heed a Madras high court order restraining the strike and have also ignored the government’s appeals.
Thousands of commuters were stranded across Tamil Nadu on Monday for the fifth consecutive day as striking employees of road transport corporations intensified their indefinite stir for better wages even as the opposition DMK demanded that the government find a solution before the Pongal festival.
The striking employees ignored the government’s appeals and a Madras high court interim order restraining them from a strike which forced the government to start hiring temporary drivers.
The Madras high court on Monday reiterated its earlier order asking the striking workers to join duty immediately and also directed the government not to terminate them from service without its consent.
Chief justice Indira Banerjee and Justice Abdul Quddhose said they could not vacate the ban on strike as school students, daily wagers and other poor people were affected.
The judges questioned why the retirement benefits and arrears due to employees were not paid and asked the government to address the grievances of the employees and pay their statutory dues.
The workers, however, insisted they will continue with the strike.
With over 50,000 drivers and conductors of various transport corporations in the state joining strike, the government began hiring temporary drivers to run skeletal services. It claimed to have operated nearly 40% of the buses across the state.
Sources said the government plans to engage some 40,000 drivers on a temporary basis to fill in for the striking staff.
In Chennai alone, the government appointed 230 drivers and 135 conductors. The government plans to appoint 500 temporary drivers immediately across the state to tide over the crisis
But the move could be potentially dangerous with two temporary drivers already involved in accidents, one of which was fatal.
Chennai police arrested a temporary driver on Monday after one person was killed in an accident. Two days ago, a temporary driver crashed into a house in Karur district.
Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) leader and president of Tamil Nadu State Transport Employees Federation, A Soundarrajan said the government move was dangerous and urged the government to invite drivers’ unions for talks to settle the issue before Pongal festivities next week. If the strike continues, it could hit Pongal celebrations badly over the next weekend, as transport services across the state have already become crippled.
The government claimed that 44% of state-run buses were on the road in Chennai on Monday, 30% in Tirupur, 46% in Coimbatore, 35% in Kanyakumari, 40% in Tiruchirapalli while 70% of bus services were operational in Dharmapuri and Thiruvarur.
Soundararajan said that the strike was peaceful and will continue till the government gave in to the demand of 2.57 per cent wage hike. The government was willing only to give 2.44 per cent hike.
DMK working president MK Stalin said the situation was turning worse and demanded that the government invite the striking workers’ leaders and thrash out a solution before Pongal festival.
“The government appears not be concerned about the transport strike which is causing great inconvenience to the people at large,” Stalin said.
Rebel AIADMK faction spokesperson CR Saraswathi too lashed out at Edapaddi Palaniswami government saying that it should not have allowed the situation to deteriorate like this. “The CM must begin talks with unions and clear the issue,” she said adding “Amma would never have allowed the situation to develop like this.”