COIMBATORE: With 260 driver and 194 conductor posts vacant in 15 out of 17 branches in the district, the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) is managing operations by appointing workers temporarily.
According to information received by a conductor on December 7 under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 945 buses are operated from 17 branches in the district. Out of 1,852 driver positions, 260 are vacant, and out of 2,065 conductor positions, 194 are vacant at 15 branches, excluding Uppilipalayam and Ondipudur-II. The posts have been vacant for more than five years. To tackle the situation and ensure there is no disruption in services, the TNSTC has appointed temporary workers.
Requesting anonymity, a driver told TNIE, “During the strike in January 2024, TNSTC appointed several temporary workers to operate the buses. Even after the strike was withdrawn, the temporary workers continued to work. They are assigned 40 duties, equivalent to 45 days and paid Rs 700 per duty. After completing the 45 duties, they are given a two-week leave period. During this two-week gap, another set of temporary workers would work at the branches. This cycle continues, and they are working for 180 days in a year.”
He added that the temporary workers are being exploited by being paid less than the standard daily wage and denied other benefits.
“Some union leaders who are doing work such as taking the buses to RTOs are forcing temporary workers to operate buses instead of doing it themselves. This is a violation and puts drivers under severe stress. Higher officers of TNSTC should regulate such instances,” he urged.
Tamil Nadu Government Transport Uniform Employees Union General Secretary N Krishnamoorthy told TNIE that if temporary workers complete 240 duties, TNSTC is mandated to make them permanent. To avoid this, they are given only 180 duties in a year, he alleged.
When asked about the situation, a top officer in TNSTC Coimbatore, who did not wish to be named, said recruitment of staff is a government policy decision.