THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Members of the Congress-affiliated Transport Democratic Federation (TDF) staged a protest in front of the KSRTC headquarters on Monday against the delay in salary disbursal, and prevented senior officers, including the KSRTC chairman & managing director, from entering the office.
The police stepped in after members of the TDF and the Kerala State Road Transport Employees Association (CITU) clashed during the protest. The police removed the protesters from the venue.
Meanwhile, TDF has called for observing a black day in all depots on Tuesday in protest against the alleged attack by the CITU leaders.
Criticising the TDF for staging the ‘protest drama’ on the day of salary disbursement, Transport Minister K B Ganesh Kumar said, “TDF decided to stage a protest on Monday after we announced that the salary will be distributed. The distribution was affected after they prevented senior officers from entering the office. The union is staging such protests for cheap mileage ahead of the trade union referendum. They also wanted to show the LDF government in a bad light ahead of the by-election,” said Ganesh Kumar.
He said the government was trying to provide the entire salary instead of giving it in installments.