Even as the indefinite strike by the transport workers entered the sixth day causing more hardship for the commuting public, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Tuesday urged the workers to resume the work in public interest while rejecting the opposition DMK's plea to hold fresh talks with the unions representing workers to resolve the issue.
The ruling AIADMK and the principal opposition DMK engaged in a heated exchange in the State Assembly over the issue of the ongoing transport workers strike.
Moving a call attention motion, Leader of Opposition MK Stalin said the strike had hit the people, especially students, and asked why Palaniswami was not inclined to hold talks. DMK leader Duraimurugan too wanted the chief minister to intervene in the matter.
Detailing the steps taken by the government and several rounds of talks held with representatives of various trade unions, Palaniswami said the striking workers should accept the wage revision package announced by the government, call off their strike and return to work considering the plight of the public. ''The government has offered a huge hike which the workers are not able to understand,' the Chief Minister said.
Palanisami also rejected the Opposition charge that he had not held talks with the trade unions. He said talks were held after consultations with him and the wage increase was announced by Transport Minister M R Vijayabaskar on his advice. "It is everybody's desire that a cordial atmosphere should prevail," he said, adding the opposition was aware that transport corporations were in a poor financial state. The chief minister said even during the DMK regime Rs 922 crore had been kept pending for disbursal to retired employees.
Tamil Nadu Transport minister Vijayabaskar cited the averments made by the Madras High Court on the transport strike and said Stalin should hold a meeting with the unions supported by the DMK and the CITU and ask them to get back to work.
Though the state government had been trying to maintain services by roping in temporary drivers and conductors in addition to employees not taking part in the agitation, passengers faced immense hardship over the reduced availability of buses.
Uncertainty loomed large over advance booking of tickets for special buses for 'Pongal' which normally commences ahead of the harvest festival on January 14. Travellers were unable to book tickets as the advanced booking counters remained shut at the Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminus today.
Meanwhile, the Southern Railway ramped up services to accommodate the extra rush due to the ongoing strike by the workers affiliated to some transport unions, who have rejected the wage hike proposed by the government
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