CHENNAI: Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) employees who went on a flash strike in the city on Monday due to the non-payment of a portion of salary, withdrew it soon.
The strike that put commuters, especially office-goers and students to hardship, was called off by employees after the government agreed to meet their demands.
According to sources, drivers and conductors, owing allegiance to the Opposition-affiliated unions, went on strike. Sources said that only 60 per cent of the salary has been paid and the rest was assured to pay in the month end. Various parts of Chennai, including Avadi, Ambattur, Adyar, Anna Nagar and CMBT, Adambakkam, Pallikaranai reported non-operation of buses from major bus stops.
Because of the strike, suburban trains and metro witnessed a heavy rush as commuters were forced to take other transports. Auto-rickshaws and share-autos were also in high demand. Roads too were chock-a-block with more passengers using personal vehicles during the rush hours in the morning.
Rajammal, a resident of Avadi, said no buses were operated in Avadi bus terminus, leaving hundreds of commuters stranded as they had no option but to travel in crowded share autorickshaws.
However, around noon the transport department assured the employees that they would solve the issue and appealed to them to resume work. Transport minister M. R. Vijayabhaskar has assured the employees that full salary would be paid by this evening and appealed to them to return to work.
Following this assurance, employees called off strike.
Speaking to DC, president of Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) Soundararajan said “apart from the Monday’s strike is the non-disbursement of salaries, transport workers have several other issues which we are waiting to discuss with the MD of MTC. Now the government has assured that the salaries will be paid by evening on Monday, employees are slowly going back to work,”.
As assured, the employees received the portion of the salary by 5 pm on Monday.
