Chennai: In order to end the indefinite strike of transport workers, the state government will be holding talks with all the trade unions, including DMK’s Labour Progressive Front and AIADMK’s trade union wing on Wednesday morning.The strike called by 11 unions entered the third day on Tuesday affecting thousands of commuters across the state with large number of buses remaining off the road.
The decision was taken at the conciliatory talks chaired by deputy labour commissioner with the representatives of transport department and unions on Tuesday evening.The progress in the talks was made after the LPF, which is the sole recognised union, gave a written undertaking agreeing for all unions represented in the talks on negotiating wage revision agreement. “We have given a written undertaking as demanded by the government to begin talks with all the unions on wage revision agreement. All the unions, including AIADMK’s Anna Thozhir Sanga Peravai leaders, will be holding talks with state transport minister Senthil Balaji at the secretariat at 10 am on Wednesday,” LPF general secretary M. Shanmugham told mediapersons after the meeting.
He said the strike would be called off if an amicable settlement were reached. Even as the transport employees strike entered third day affecting commuter badly across the state, the government announced a seven per cent hike in the dearness allowance of employees of state-run transport corporations. DA was enhanced to 107 per cent from 100 per cent from July 1, 2014 and employees of all eight corporations were eligible for it, a government order issued by transport department secretary T. Prabakara Rao said.
The Madras high court has vacated a stay on recruitment of about 5,000 drivers and conductors considering the critical situation caused by the strike.This now paves the way for the government to issue the appointment letters to these candidates.However, employees affiliated to the 11 unions continued their strike, launched on December 28, as bus services, especially long-distance ones, remained hit though government had expressed the hope that normalcy would be restored Tuesday.
