Transport staff stage protest, want pay issues resolved

In Chennai, around 5,000 union members and pensioners staged a protest at Pallavan House demanding the government to hold talks regarding pending issues like settling arrears to the pensioners and increasing wages to the employees.

The union members also blamed the government, which was not keeping its words. K Natarajan, treasurer of Labour Progressive Federation (LPF), said, “We will protest on Friday too, after which we will take further course of action.

Even though the Transport department assured us that all the issues would be sorted out in the beginning of December, officials avoid meeting us on the grounds of R K Nagar bypoll.” The treasurer added that as the government did not come forward even after the election, the unions are being constrained to take the extreme step.

Similarly, members from other unions raised slogans against the government to pay attention to their issues.

“The Transport department keeps assuring us that our issues would be resolved, but we are neglected,” said A Soundararajan, president of TN state Transport Employees Federation, affiliated to CPM.