Buses off roads in TN for day two, strike intensifies

Commuters were hit hard on Monday too as a number of state run buses remained off the roads across Tamil Nadu due to a strike by employees of government-run transport corporations pressing for various demands, including wage revision, for the second day.

Employees affiliated to eleven opposition trade unions including the CPI (M)'s CITU and DMK's Labour Progressive Front intensified their strike on Monday with protest demonstrations across Tamil Nadu. However, drivers and conductors affiliated to ruling AIADMK's Anna Thozhir Snagam worked.

About 200 employees were detained across the state in connection with incidents related to strike including alleged stone pelting on buses in Kanyakumari, Kumbakonam and Sivaganga, police said.

A coordination meeting of 11 trade unions was held here on Monday in which a resolution was adopted urging the government to invite them for talks.

“We will consider calling off the strike the moment the state invites us for talks. We regret the inconvenience caused to the public,” CITU State president and CPI(M) MLA A Soundararajan told a news agency after the meeting. On demands of employees, he said, “invite us for talks...this itself is a demand now.”

Upward wage revision is among the key demands of employees. The validity of previous wage agreement ended on September 1, 2013, he added.