Chennai: DMK backed transport unions along with others have announced a statewide bandh on Thursday to condemn the failure of Centre to constitute the Cauvery Management Board (CMB) as per the Supreme Court's direction, While medical shops, Koyambedu market and other retail shops downed their shutters, nearly 70 per cent of the buses would not run today, said transport unions. The decision was taken after nearly 10 unions agreed to this at a meeting held at Pallavan House.
AIADMK union, however, is not taking part in the protest and in turn, the Metropolitan Transportation Corporation (MTC) has sent out notices to all its employees on Tuesday night ordering them to come to work on Thursday.
On the other side, a few smaller unions said they would not be taking part in the bandh as they are already finding it hard to cope up with the eight-day pay cut for the transport strike.
Over a lakh transport employees had been on strike during January 5-11 demanding increased wages and retirement benefits. “Salary cuts ranged between Rs 3,500 and Rs 10,000, depending on the salary drawn for each worker and the period of his/her strike. A bandh again would mean a pay cut and we cannot afford it,” said one of the transport workers.
However, already bleeding transport corporations are set to witness more losses, the coming days due to the bandh.
