Tamil Nadu: Salary hike only for MLAs, not for transport employees?

Uncertainty loomed large over advance booking of tickets for special buses for 'Pongal' which normally commences ahead of the harvest festival on January 14.

Tamil Nadu CM Edappadi K.Palanisamy appealed transport unions, who are demanding salary hike, to withdraw strike and report to work immediately as the transport union's strike entered the seventh day on Wednesday.

The bus strike by Tamil Nadu State Transport Corp. (TNSTC) employees intensified across the state with the family members of employees joining the demonstrations. The employees are in fact set to intensify protests after the state government issued notices to nearly 60,000 workers for abstaining from work on 5 and 6 January, reports The Times of India.

The authorities refused to accept the demands of the striking employees and kept recruiting temporary bus drivers in a desperate attempt to restore bus services in the state.

The strike continues even after the Madras High Court ordered them to call of their two-day-old strike, which has caused hardship to the public. Transport corporation unions said their agitation would continue till their demands on wage revision were met by the Tamil Nadu government.

The unions, including DMK- affiliated LPF and CITU, have rejected the state government's ultimatum to return to work or face 'consequences', issued following the court directive.

Also, uncertainty loomed large over advance booking of tickets for special buses for 'Pongal' which normally commences ahead of the harvest festival on January 14.Transport Minister M.R. Vijayabhaskar announced special buses for Pongal but commuters said this looked like a promise only on paper.

(With agency inputs)