Transport workers yet to get arrears despite court order four months ago

This has left the employees a disgruntled lot, even as the officials reasoned that the department faced fund crunch even after the fare revision. This led to the delay in paying the arrears to workers, they said.

Transport workers said the authorities had promised payment of arrears by the beginning of April. They were looking forward to the day when the arrears would be credited, they said.

M Shanmugam, General Secretary of the Labour Progressive Federation (LPF), said, “It is a clear indication that the Transport department is still ignoring workers by not implementing the court order, which had directed the department to disburse arrears. However, the officials do not take steps to give us the arrears”.

MV Ramamurthy, Joint Secretary of the Nethaji Transport Union Workers (MTC) said, “We are regularly checking ATMs to see if the arrears have been credited. The officials had told us that the amount would be credited on April 1, but subsequently told us a different date, April 20.” However, nothing has happened so far, he said.

A senior official from the transport department said, “We hiked bus fare to increase the revenue, but it proved to be a damp squib. However, we are taking efforts to disburse arrears as expeditiously as possible and there is a high possibility for employees to get their arrears with their April month salary.”