The transport workers’ unions in Tamil Nadu have announced an indefinite strike starting Tuesday, alleging that the state government has not been considering their demands.
This comes after failed talks with the MK Stalin-led government on Monday when a coalition of various unions, including the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), put forth their list of demands including – the signing of the 15th wage revision agreement to increase the pay, revision of dearness allowance for pensioners, and filling vacancies in bus driver and conductor posts.
According to CITU leader A Soundararajan, the state government made it clear that none of the demands of transport workers could be accepted now which is an “unjust answer and an unfair stand”.
“This government is treating transport corporation workers as second-grade citizens…A key demand is the release of Dearness Allowance pending for eight years to pensioners and we are not seeking a hike, we are asking to release the DA that is due,” Soundararajan was quoted by news agency PTI.
Urging the government to schedule a date to commence talks for enhanced wages to be settled under the 15th wage revision pact, the CITU leader said, “If they cannot accept even this demand, what right does the government have to tell us to cancel the strike.”
The strike of the transport unions comes ahead of a major Tamil festival ‘Pongal’, which is likely to create disrupt the festive rush.
‘Strike has political motives’
State transport minister S S Sivasankar on Monday alleged that the strike of the transport workers has a “political motive” and would hindrance to the public. Warning of appropriate action over the strike, the minister said that their demands would be “met in due course when the financial situation improves”.
Meanwhile, AIADMK chief and leader of the opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami slammed the DMK government for meeting any of the demands put forth by the workers’ union.