DMK MLAs continue to decline increased pay: MK Stalin

Chennai:  DMK working president M K Stalin today said his party legislators continued to reject the salary hike while the ruling AIADMK MLAs have accepted the revised pay.

“We are not ready to accept the increased salary till such time the problem faced by (State-run) transport corporation employees are resolved,” he said addressing a Labour Day meet here.  The DMK leader recalled his party's opposition to the hike for MLAs when a Bill in this respect was tabled and later adopted in the Assembly in January this year.  Stalin said his party had opposed the hike in view of the stir by workers of transport corporations seeking upward pay revision.

The party MLAs will not accept the hike till such time their demands were met, the leader of Opposition in the assembly recalled as having said and added that his party will continue to back the working classes.  It may be recalled that workers of State-run transport corporations had struck work for eight days seeking wage revision and settlement of dues for retired and working employees.  “If you ask me the present status, all the AIADMK MLAs are getting (accepted) the increased salary. Still we have not accepted it,” he said.  In January, a Bill was adopted in the Assembly giving effect to a decision taken by the state government in 2017 to hike the pay for MLAs and allowances for the chief minister and ministers with effect from July 1, 2017.

As per the bill, the salary and allowances of legislators were raised from Rs 55,000 to Rs 1,05,000 per month, an increase of 90.91 per cent.