CHENNAI: CITU on Saturday slammed the TVK government for outsourcing conductor posts in State transport undertakings to an Uttar Pradesh-based company, saying the move came when nearly 30,000 vacancies remained unfilled, and lakhs of youth were seeking jobs.

Tamil Nadu State Transport Employees Federation general secretary K Arumuga Nainar said the transport undertakings carried nearly two crore passengers daily and required adequately trained permanent staff to ensure safe travel.

He alleged that the previous DMK government had failed to fill vacancies and instead engaged contract workers. CITU challenged the system in the Madras High Court, arguing that contractual appointments denied reservation and compromised social justice and passenger safety. The case is now pending in the Supreme Court, he said.

Nainar said CITU had expected the TVK government to reverse the policy but alleged that it had instead floated a tender to engage conductors through SS Enterprises, an Uttar Pradesh-based company. "While lakhs of Tamil Nadu youth are waiting for jobs, outsourcing conductor posts to a company from Uttar Pradesh is highly objectionable," he said.

CITU demanded immediate filling of all vacancies and cancellation of the tender issued to the Uttar Pradesh company.