Transport staff to donate one day salary for Gaja funds

It is also planning to hold talks with the Labour department on Monday in connection with their long-pending demands ranging from disbursal of arrears to reducing the incurring losses of the transport corporations. 

Dearness allowances, which had been overdue for five months, were disbursed to the employees belonged to the four transport corporations including Pudukottai, Karaikudi, Thiruchy and Kumbakonam, said sources.  

Also, transport corporations in the regions, including Villupuram, Cuddalore, Tiruvannamalai, Kanchipuram and Vellore, disbursed Rs 90 lakh to its workers as a part of its ‘leave surrender’ policy. 

The secretary of Labour Progressive Federation, K Natarajan, said, “The unions held two rounds of talks to discuss the pending demands. But, we have been unable to reach a conclusion owing to various reasons. Workers from the cyclone-affected districts, in particular, are the worst sufferers as many have lost their property in the calamity. It is not the right time to urge them to take up workers’ issues.”

An official from SETC said, “The corporation is ready with the funds to help the workers. We are, however, yet to get approval from the top.”