Commuters stranded as MTC workers resorted to flash strike

CHENNAI: Thousands of commuters were stranded in the city on Monday evening with the members of the DMK-affiliated Labour Progressive Front, CITU and other unions resorted to a flash strike protesting the engagement of drivers on a contract basis in the MTC bus depots.

MTC had awarded a contract to an agency to engage drivers on a contract basis for operating the buses in its depots during the night time for parking, maintenance and refuelling activities. However, after all the trade unions strongly objected to the appointment of drivers on a contract basis, MTC had assured that it would not engage the drivers for the time being. The CITU-led union had served a strike notice opposing outsourcing in April.

As the bus crews restored to flash strike around 4.30 pm on Monday, commuters were forced to get down off the buses at the midway of their journey on several routes. After deboarding the commuters, the buses were taken to the depots much to the anguish of the passengers.

Unaware of the strike, the commuters waited at the bus stops and terminus for hours. Some of the commuters who tried to hire an autorickshaw were shocked at the high fares demanded by the drivers. With the buses remaining off the road for over two hours, commuters also switched to the suburban trains and metro trains to reach their destinations.

In many bus terminus, the commuters engaged in arguments with the timekeepers and bus crew for not operating the buses and resorting to flash strikes causing hardship to passengers returning home after work.

CITU state president A Soundararajan said that MTC employees had resorted to flash strike angered over the engagement of the contract drivers at the bus depots. "MTC had gone back on its assurance to deploy the drivers on a contract basis for work at the bus depots that led to the flash strike, " he said agreeing that the flash strike causes inconvenience to the commuters. "We have given a strike notice protesting the outsourcing and privatisation. Our talks is scheduled on May 31 based on its outcome we decided on the strike planned for June 6," he said.

At its 33 MTC bus depots, there would be drivers for workshop-related tasks such as refuelling and parking the buses at the workshop for performing routine maintenance works. So far, drivers affiliated with ruling party-affiliated unions would get soft work inside depots. Despite the shortage of drivers resulting in the non-operation of its full fleet of buses, the ruling party drivers continue to stick to the leisure job, an MTC official said, adding that hence the decision was taken to outsource 532 drivers at a salary of Rs 22,000 per month. "The permanent drivers would be diverted to drive the passenger buses, " he said.

As the flash strike left the commuters stranded at the bus stops, Transport Minister SS Sivasankar has invited all the trade unions for talks as per the direction of the chief minister and requested the workers to resume the bus services as it causes inconvenience commuters who are returning to home from work.

LPF treasurer Natarajan said that they urged workers to resume work assuring that the DMK government would not go against the interest of the workers.

Greater Chennai Police appealed to all the auto, share auto, taxi and call taxi drivers are requested to help the public to reach their destinations by abiding to the rules on the collection of fares from the passengers during this temporary non-operation of MTC and other Govt Transport Dept buses at Chennai.