MTC to engage 1,200 drivers, conductors; trade unions allege indirect privatisation by DMK govt
The corporation has already engaged 600 drivers and 500 conductors on a casual basis since January. “But they are working for a few days and leaving and there is no accountability. So, we are engaging a contractor to supply drivers and conductors,” sources said.
MTC bus
CHENNAI: In a move that immediately attracted the ire of workers’ unions, the Metropolitan Transport Corporation has initiated steps to engage 700 drivers and 500 conductors to ensure the operation of full bus services in the city.
The corporation has already engaged 600 drivers and 500 conductors on a casual basis since January. “But they are working for a few days and leaving and there is no accountability. So, we are engaging a contractor to supply drivers and conductors,” sources said.
After engaging drivers and conductors on daily-wage basis, the MTC is operating more than 3,000 services every day as against 2,400-2,500 buses last year due to manpower shortage, sources noted.
According to the tender issued by MTC, the contractor supplying drivers and conductors should mandatorily pay them a minimum wage of Rs 27,934 per month and Rs 27,597 per month respectively.
MTC’s earlier attempt to engage crew through manpower agencies ran into troubles after trade unions challenged it in the Madras High Court. “We have got a favourable order from the court,” sources from the unions said, adding that those drivers and conductors would be relieved after the filling up of vacancies.
Commenting on the latest move, K Arumugha Nainar, general secretary of the CITU-affiliated Tamil Nadu State Transport Employees Federation, noted that the move to invite bids was coming close on the heels of the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporations in Coimbatore and Kumbakonam initiating similar steps.
The government was indirectly privatising transport corporations instead of strengthening them, he criticised. “On one hand, the government proclaims social justice as its ideology while burying the concept of reservation through contract labours on the other hand. The bus will be owned by the government but workers will belong to the private agencies. We have launched a movement to take this issue to the people seeking to fill up 25,000 vacancies in the corporations,” he said.
