TENKASI: The state-level executive committee meeting of the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) Workers’ Federation, convened in Shengottai of the district on Saturday, expressed dissatisfaction with the manner in which the recent talks for the 15th wage revision agreement were held.
In the meeting chaired by federation president R Ashokan in the presence of general secretary R Radhakrishnan, members criticised the conduct of the final round of negotiations for the 15th wage revision agreement, which was held in Chennai in the presence of Minister for Transport S S Sivasankar.
The committee alleged that the minister had unusually convened a separate meeting with representatives of the DMK-affiliated association and CITU ahead of the negotiations, and called it an unfair practice.
While the agreement is said to have been implemented with effect from September 1, 2023, the payment of arrears has been scheduled only from September 1, 2024. As a result, workers have lost a year’s worth of arrears.
We also express displeasure that the tenure of the wage agreement remains at four years, as in the previous pact, instead of the expected three-year term. Also, the long-pending issues concerning the corporation’s debt and the interest burden remain unresolved, the members said.
They, however, welcomed the hike in marriage loan for workers, the minimum incentive assurance of Rs 20 and the government’s willingness to revisit harsh punishments awarded in the past.
The meeting saw a total of nine resolutions adopted, including one calling for immediate filling of all vacant posts across TNSTC corporations and the provision of employment under compassionate grounds, and improvement of basic amenities in depots and the supply of essential spare parts to ensure effective maintenance of buses.
A resolution wanting the state government to run more inter-state bus services to Kerala from Tenkasi and Shengottai and one pressing the state government to take full responsibility for the workers’ pension scheme were also adopted.