Reporter’s Diary: The wage-tiff between LPF and State govt

CHENNAI: Not often does a trade union of the ruling party joins hands with other unions to oppose the proposal of its party-led government. DMK-affiliated Labour Progressive Front, the largest union in the state transport undertaking, is leading a joint action committee of trade unions in the transport corporation.

It’s opposing the move to engage drivers on a contract basis in the Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) and the long delay in concluding the 14th wage settlement agreement. It’s noteworthy to point out that the DMK government came to power promising to react to the settlement and solve other issues. A year later, wage revision talks are still underway, and corporations are bringing in initiatives that’d affect their rights.

The LPF-led JAC passed a strong-worded resolution declaring to lay siege to the MTC headquarters on the day the tender opens to engage drivers on a contract basis. It also criticised officials for delaying the calculation of workers’ grade-based pay matrix, which has created unnecessary confusion among workers.

After the JAC statement and CITU union’s subsequent threat to strike, the transport department convened negotiations on July 11.

Speculation is rife that the LPF union has urged the transport minister to conclude talks at the earliest as any further delay in the wage revision will hugely affect its support in the transport corporation.

— Jagannath G, Chennai