Ex-TNSTC staff protest for retirement benefits, held

Retired TNSTC employees from Coimbatore region comprising Coimbatore, Tirupur, Nilgiris and Erode districts staged a road roko on Mettupalayam Road before the transport corporation depot asking for their retirement benefits.

Led by Selvaraj, general secretary TNSTC, retired employees’ union, Coimbatore division, a large number of protesters blocked the road disrupting traffic for over an hour. They shouted slogans and demanded that the pension amount should be given on the first of every month. The protesters also sought the settlement of Rs 1140 crore, which is due as pension and gratuity for retired employees. “If our demands are not met, we will mobilise 65,000 employees and gherao the secretariat,” said the ex-employees. “The state government had agreed to settle all pending cash dues from October 7, following a similar protest. However, it failed to keep its promise and has not settled the dues so far,” they rued. 

“When pensioners in all other government departments get their retirement benefits aptly, it is unfair to treat the transport corporation employees in a step-motherly way,” said Selvaraj. He also wanted the employees included in the old-age pension scheme.