Transport TUs have listed 21 demands: Minister RS Rajakannappan

Transport Minister RS Rajakannappan on Wednesday said that trade union representatives of the State Transport Corporation employees put forward 21 demands, including making the corporation employees into government employees and providing bhatta to drivers and conductors for free travel of women, transpersons and differently abled.

After the 14th wage revision talks with trade union representatives here, the Minister said that members of 65 trade unions took part in the talks and they together put forward 21 major demands.

“Due to the free travel of women, transpersons and differently abled passengers, the daily bhatta for the drivers and conductors are being impacted. They wanted to provide bhatta for the free travel. The state government is providing Rs 1,450 crore to the corporations for the women free travel,” he told reporters after the wage talks.

The Minister said that the unions also demanded to declare the corporation employees as government employees. “We will have a detailed discussion with the chief secretary, finance secretary and transport department secretary and then take up the issue with the Chief Minister to decide on it,” he said.