CHENNAI: The CITU-affiliated Tamil Nadu State Transport Employees Federation (TNSTEF) has called upon the transport Corporation employees to get ready for protest with the transport department justifying its decision to appoint drivers and conductors through manpower agencies.

The CITU-affiliated union has filed a writ petition challenging the MTC and other transport Corporations' move to appoint the drivers and conductors on a contract basis through manpower agencies as it violates the labour department's direction to maintain the status quo on its strike notice. The high court also directed the corporation to maintain the status quo.

TNSTEF General Secretary K Arumuga Nainar said that the transport department has filed an affidavit in the High Court stating that the state government has taken a policy decision to appoint contract workers.

"It had further stated that the labour department has no power to intervene in the policy decision," he quoted the affidavit.

He said that if the government takes such a stand, then the workers have no option but to protest against it on the streets.

MTC has floated bids to rope in manpower agencies to provide 234 drivers and conductors to operate the regular bus services in the city, while the TNSTC Villupuram has invited a similar tender to engage 75 drivers to operate buses on regular routes.