Bus men end stir after government agrees to release Rs 1,000 crore

The striking transport employees will return to work from Wednesday when bus services across the state would fully resume.

General secretary of Labour Progressive Federation (LPF), MTC, Natarajan, told DTNext, “We have temporarily withdrawn our strike, as the government has assured us of releasing arrears of Rs 1,000 crore in first phase. In the second phase, the ministers have agreed to release Rs 250 crore, after which remaining arrears would gradually be disbursed.” The talks lasted for more than four hours, he added. 

Earlier on Tuesday, Transport Minister MR Vijayabhaskar, School Education Minister K Sengottaiyan and Electricity Minister P Thangamani held talks with the union leaders at 2 pm at the Pallavan House. Later, the ministers along with 12 union leaders moved to Secretariat by around 5 pm and held another round of talks that lasted till 9.30 pm. After consolidating the demands of the striking union leaders, the ministers met Chief Minister Edappadi K Palanisamy to take stock of the situation. 

Bus commuters across the state continued to suffer for a second consecutive day as a majority of Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC), State Express Transport Corporation (SETC) and other state transport corporation vehicles remained confined to the depots. However, commuters in the city had some relief with several private vehicles stepping in and operating popular routes to ensure that public did not suffer. 

Earlier in the day, the Madras High Court Bench the striking trade unions of the state transport corporation to resume work immediately to ensure resumption of the public transport service. 

If the members of the unions failed to resume work, then the government should take necessary action against them under the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) and take disciplinary and penal actions against violators of the Act, said a Madurai bench of justices MV Muralidharan and N Seshasayee. 

ESMA is an act of Parliament which was established to ensure the delivery of certain services, which if obstructed would affect the normal life of the people.