Heed demands or face strike, warn busmen

According to transport union members, even after transport officials conducted a host of meetings to find out solutions for demands like increasing wage and making temporary employees permanent, there is no breakthrough in the talks so far. The members also stressed that this meeting should be the last one for settling the employees’ issues. 

A Soundararajan, president of Tamil Nadu State Transport Employees Federation, affiliated to CPM, said, “First, we will demand the government to provide equal salaries to the temporary employees on a par with government employees in the transport department and we will put forth other demands.” He warned of strike, if the government failed to address their grievances.

Similarly, K Natarajan, Treasurer of State Transport Employees Association of Labour Progressive Federation (LPF), said, “We are not demanding extra money from the government. The government should disburse prescribed amount, which was collected from the employees.” However, the employees suspect whether the government would settle the issues at a time when the government machinery itself is confused, he added.

When contacted, a senior transport official, who is on the panel, said that a few days ago they conducted a meeting with the union members. “The transport department is poised to sort out the issues in this meeting and we are in the hope that employees will be satisfied with the talks,” the official said exuding the confidence. 

It may be noted that the employees went on strike in May and they recently held a two-day sit-in protests across the state, which later turned violent.