Tamil Nadu state transport workers are again into strike since yesterday night. Nearly 65% of buses are off road. 1.4 lakhs of workers are employed in Tamil Nadu state transport undertakings. Transport workers had gone into strike last year also demanding their due amount Rs.7500 crore from the State Transport department. Lakhs of transport workers’ PF, Grautity, Insurance Premium deducted from their salary as a financial security for their future is used without any guilty by state transport department to run the public transport. As the insurance premiums are not paid, the workers are unable to avail the insurance benefits during their emergencies. Shame on transport ministry for passing the burden of running the public transport service on poor workers. It is the duty of the elected government to provide the affordable public transport to public. As a major beneficiaries of public transport, IT workers have the responsibility to question the irresponsible attitude of state transport ministry and Tamilnadu government.
While transport workers demand the minimum wage Rs. 19,500, the transport minister Mr. Vijaybhaskar announced the pay hike 2.44% which is Rs.17,700. Moreover there is no assurance for the due amount Rs. 7000 crore from the minister. Though government has paid Rs.1500 crore last year after the transport workers strike in May 2017, the state transport corporation did not stop using the PF and other deducted amount of workers’ salaries to run the day to day operations of Transport Corporation. FITE condemns the reckless attitude of Tamilnadu government for not resolving the transport workers’ dispute for long time. FITE demands Tamilnadu government to,
– Come up with plan for early settlement of the due amount Rs.7000 crore immediately
– Fullfill all the demands of Tamil Nadu state transport workers
– Implement the recommendations given by transport unions to rescue the loss running transport corporation and ensure the affordable public transport service.
Parimala,
President,
Forum for IT Employees – Tamilnadu
1 Comment
Muthu January 5, 2018 at 4:41 pm
So much money has been withheld by the TN govt and ministers by not paying the salary to the workers. where else do we think all that bribe money came from for the recent RK nagar elections.