Transport staff up in arms over pay cut, plan protests

Chennai

The Confederation of All Trade Unions in Transport Corporation announced that it would hold an indefinite protest at all the depots from July 1 to highlight the management failure to keep its promise.

After the transport corporations deducted workers’ May month salary, based on the average working days of the past year, the members of all the trade unions had resorted to a flash protest across the State on May 31. MTC managing director Ganesan, who was directed by the principal secretary of the Transport Department to hold talks to end the workers’ protest, had then assured the union representatives that their grievance would be resolved. However, the Corporation has violated the assurance and decided to deduct the salaries again, alleged the union leaders.

In a joint statement, the trade unions including the DMK-affiliated Labour Progressive Front and Left parties affiliated CITU and AITUC, said that when the government declared lockdown, there was no announcement on the deduction of salaries for non-working days. “But the transport corporation managements have been issuing various orders to deduct the salaries or taking away the earned leaves. Such unfair practices were not followed in other government departments. This government has adopted an approach to exploit the transport employees. Hence, the employees will hold indefinite protest from July 1 following social distancing and wearing masks at all the depots,” they said.