TNSTC staff still stay away, but buses on road in Kovai

By G.Satyamurty

COIMBATORE, NOV.17. Most of the buses were on the road in the Western region of Tamil Nadu despite most of the regular employees of the State Transport Corporation being on strike for the eighth day today.

Except in the Nilgiris, that too in the interior areas of the hills, the impact of the stir was hardly visible. Official sources said that while more than 85 per cent of the TNSTC buses were on the road in Coimbatore district, 87 per cent were operating in Erode district and almost 90 per cent in the Nilgiris.

However, except the workers affiliated to the Anna Thozhir Sanga Peravai (AIADMK labour wing), nobody reported for duty in all these districts. A substantial number of workers have already been remanded to custody.

In Erode district hardly 10 per cent of the workers reported for duty and so far 1,170 have been remanded to custody. However, thanks to the recruitment of 1,640 casual labourers, the TNSTC was able to operate most of its fleet.

In Coimbatore district, more than 800 workers have been remanded to custody. However, as about 1,500 casual labourers have been recruited temporarily, most of the TNSTC buses are on the road.

Everything was quiet in the Nilgiris except a demonstration by representatives of various unions expressing their solidarity with the striking busmen.

Meanwhile, the management of the TNSTC in Erode district has appealed to the workers to return to duty. It said the Erode unit of the TNSTC earned during 2000-01 a profit of Rs.78 lakhs, of which Rs 25 lakhs had to be apportioned to the Transport Corporation-run engineering and medical colleges. The corporation had been transporting more than 1.1 lakh students free of cost. It was confident of making considerable profit next year, by when it would be possible to pay better bonus, the appeal said.

However, the bus unions construe this appeal as an ``insidious and mischievous'' attempt to break the unity of the workers who are ranged against the Government under a single banner irrespective of their political affiliations.

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Section  : Southern States
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