(Eds;incorporating details of court appointed arbitrator) Chennai,Jan 11 (PTI) Agitating transport workers in TamilNadu today 'temporaril' withdrew their eight day old strikeover wage related issues and said they would return to worktomorrow, ahead of Pongal festival, which falls on January 14.
CITU leader A Soundarrajan told reporters that the strikewas being "temporarily" called off, keeping in mind the peoplewho have made plans to travel home for the Tamil harvestfestival pongal, falling on Sunday.
The Madras High Court appointing an arbitrator today tosettle their wage dispute with the government "shows there issomething more than the 2.44 factor," he said, indicating attheir demand for a 2.57 time revision.
"The strike is being temporarily withdrawn keeping inmind the welfare of the people of the state," he added.
Workers of Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC)had launched their indefinite strike last Thursday followingfailure of talks with the government on wage revision.
While unions wanted a 2.57 times hike, the governmentoffered only 2.44, resulting in the stalemate.
The workers struck work citing other demands also likepending dues for serving and retired personnel.
Soundararajan said the unions will put forth before thearbitrator their arguments on the 2.44 factor.
M Shanmugam, General Secretary of DMK backed LabourProgressive Federation (LPF) said the 2.44 factor is only "aninterim arrangement," and said the strike was only being"suspended" and "postponed." "This strike is being suspended.... Postponed," he saidand lauded the workers for their unity and discipline shownduring this period.
Both leaders insisted that workers will resume work fromearly Friday.
The strike by about 17 unions, including those backed byDMK and Left parties, had severely crippled public sector busservices for the past one week, with the government deployingtemporary drivers with valid licences to ply the buses.
The AIADMK backed union, besides some others, had notparticipated in the protests.
The court had earlier asked the workers to resume work orface the consequences,even as it had restrained the governmentfrom initiating action against them.
Earlier, when the matter came up in the High Court, itappointed a retired judge E Padmanabhan as arbitrator tosettle the wage dispute.
The bench, comprising Justices S Manikumar and MGovindaraj, appointed Padmanabhan to adjudicate the differenceof 0.13 multiplying factor (wage hike) and the date on whichit should be applied and directed employees to return to work.
It granted one month time for the arbitrator to submitthe report.
The bench noted that government agreed to three of fivedemands by the unions, subject to employees resuming work fromthis evening.
It declined to agree to the request of the unions torefer the correctness and validity of the alleged settlementof January 4 as one of the terms of reference. PTI SA APRAPR.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.