Govt approves Rs 45 crore as salary advance for transport staff: Minister

While addressing the media, at Secretariat, the minister said, “The Transport employees demanded the salary advance for Deepavali and their demand was taken to the notice of Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami, who later approved their demand. The amount would be credited to them by Monday.” 

With host of demands, transport department employees threatened to stage strike during Deepavali and to prevent their strike, government had announced slew of measures to succour them.

“Considering their long term demands the state government announced 20 per cent bonus and the same was deposited in their account, on Thursday. The retirement benefits to transport employees who have retired in the months between December, 2017 to March, 2018 were already settled,” Vijayabaskar added. 

He also said that as the state government had announced November 5 (Monday), as government holiday, they have now planned to operate the Deepavali special buses in advance, from Friday.  

Appeal to transport workers not to go on strike State Transport minister MR Vijayabaskar said that transport workers threatened to stage a strike, earlier this year during Pongal and similarly, they have threatened to stage protest during Deepavali. “Our aim is to offer service to people particularly during the festive days without any issue and employees should understand the importance of operating buses during festive times,” said Vijayabaskar. 

When questioned if the transport department is ready to face the situation of employees going into strike during Deepavali, the minister replied that more than 75 per cent of the transport department employees are attached to Anna Trade Union and they will not go for protest. For the remaining drivers they have made alternative arrangements, he added.