AMN
Most of the public transport buses are off the roads due to the transport unions strike that began today. The unions are seeking immediate disbursal of about seven thousand crore rupees arrears towards allowances and retirement benefits and to the serving and retired staff.
Meanwhile, the state labour department special deputy commissioner Yasmin Begum has called for tne next round of trilateral talks this evening in Chennai. Seven earlier rounds of talks including two rounds of trilateral talks failed to resolve the issue.
Meanwhile, the transport department has pooled in private bus operators to operate buses in busy routes. The Southern Railway has announced special trains to Tirunelveli, Coimbatore and Tiruvarur. It has also augmented suburban and MRTS rail services from Chennai. In Chennai, about 600 buses have been mobilized from private operators of six adjoining districts at the Island Grounds, from where transport officials are giving temporary routes to ply their buses within the city and its suburbs.
State transport minister M.R.Vijayabhaskar has said only a few transport unions are resorting to the strike driven by political motives. After inspecting the alternate arrangements made in Chennai this morning, he said the government is ready to pay 750 crore rupees at once and 500 crore rupees more by coming September for paying retirement benefits. However, unions seek written commitment towards payment of all arrears for all sections of the employees.
parties including the DMK, the BJP, the Congress and the Left have criticised the government of failing to address the issues of the transport workers and urged to take urgent measures to end the strike.