Buses off roads in Tamil Nadu for day 2, strike intensifies

Chennai, Dec 29: Commuters were hit hard for the 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 today.

Employees affiliated to eleven opposition trade unions including the CPI (M)'s CITU and DMK's Labour Progressive Front intensified their strike today 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 today 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 PTI 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.

The Left leader also hit out at the government saying "the government has opened the doors of jail rather than opening doors for conciliatory talks."

"We waited for 15-long months for the state to steer efforts for a new wage pact", he said. He also condemned efforts by the government to give a "political colour" to the strike and alleged attempts to divide the trade unions.

PTI