CPM urges TN government to scrap policy to appoint workers on contract basis in transport corporations

CHENNAI:  CPM state secretary K Balakrishnan on Friday demanded the state government to scrap its policy to appoint workers on a contract basis in the state transport corporations which is against the law and social justice and fill up the vacancies through permanent employees.

In a statement, he said that even as the trade unions and political parties were demanding the filling up of vacancies in the transport corporations through the appointment of permanent employees, TNSTC Tirunelveli and Salem have invited tenders to appoint private agencies to engage workers on contract basis.

Pointing to a case filed by CITU's transport corporation union against engaging workers through private agencies in the Madras High Court, he said that the court pointed out that the contract system in transport corporations is wrong, it is against reservation and will affect the public transport service, and it is wrong to have two types of salary system in the public sector.

However, the state counsel argued against the single-judge order in the Division Bench stating that the court cannot interfere in the government's policy decision and the court allowed it.

He termed the move to appoint contract workers as deceiving the workers and youth who depend on government employment.

AITUC-affiliated Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation Employees Federation has written to the chief minister seeking to fulfil its poll promises including the commencement of the 15th wage settlement talks which is due from September last year, budgetary allocation for the losses suffered by the corporations, settlement of retirement dues, filling up of vacancies and implementation of the old pension scheme.