Commuters of Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) buses in Chennai were in for a rude shock on Monday morning after employees went on a flash strike on Monday morning. With buses remaining stationary at the depots, services in a number of areas were disrupted with commuters forced to look for other alternatives to get to their offices on Monday morning. However, as of noon, the strike has been called off by employees after their demands were met.
Drivers, conductors and other employees of a few MTC bus depots in Chennai refused to sign up for their duty on Monday morning due to non-payment of salaries. According to reports, the employees went on strike after it came to their notice that only a part of June’s salaries would allegedly be paid to them.
Buses in Ambattur, Anna Nagar, Kundrathur, Perambur, Poonamallee and Vadapalani did not ply due to the strike. Employees other than those belonging to AIADMK workers’ unions allegedly participated in the strike.
Speaking to TNM about the strike, Transport Secretary J Radhakrishnan said that there was some wrong information given to them that they may not receive full salaries and that was the reason for the strike. He also added that the issue has been clarified to the union leaders who are in turn conveying the same to the employees.
Responding almost immediately to the strike, Transport Minister MR Vijayabaskar told a news channel that full salary for all the MTC employees will be deposited in their respective bank accounts by Monday evening. “We request the employees from the unions of the opposition parties who are on strike to resume their work and not cause any service disruption to the general public,” he said attributing the delay to a bank holiday on Sunday. He also denied reports of reduction of salaries for those working with MTC.
Speaking to TNM, President of Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) Soundararajan said that though there are many issues that plague the MTC employees, the primary reason for Monday’s strike is the non-disbursement of salaries.
“We also have a slew of other issues which we are waiting to discuss with the Managing Director of MTC. He has not given us an appointment as yet. Regarding Monday’s strike, it is because of not paying the salary for the month of June. Now the government has assured that the salaries will be paid by evening today. So the employees are slowly going back to work,” he said.