Over 1,000 retired employees of Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) and current employees went on strike at Sungam depot on Sunday raising various demands including clearance of pension arrears.
Nearly 220 buses plying to various destinations kept off the road as working employees of TNSTC in depot-I and II at Sungam extended solidarity to the pensioners.
The protesters alleged that 6,000 retired employees in Coimbatore are yet to get pension for the current month. According to them, the pension for January and February were given as two instalments, first instalment on the seventh and remaining on 19th of these two months.
“This is a token strike. We will resort to indefinite strike if authorities further delay payment of pension. Working employees from two depots at Sungam joined the strike as they are afraid of facing same issues in future,” said K. Rajaram, convenor of Retired Employees Association. Mr. Rajaram said that pensioners’ contribution to TNSTC from eight corporations in the State is ₹5,200 crore a month. Of this, only ₹80 crore is used for paying pension of 65,000 pensioners and the remaining amount is used for other expenses of TNSTC.
The pensioners also pointed that deficits in the budget allocation for diesel subsidy and student concession is adding burden to TNSTC. While TNSTC requires ₹1,400 crore as diesel subsidy per year, budget allocation is ₹850 crore. But in effect, only ₹550 crore is given as subsidy. In the case of students concession, budget allocation is 56% of ₹1,100 crore required.
However, only 40% is paid to meet concession given to around 36 lakh students per day.
Later, TNSTC general manager Anbu Abraham held talk with employees and pensioners. He assured them that pension will be disbursed on March 24. Revenue inspector deputed by the District Collector also held talks with the protesters and assured them that pension will be credited on March 24. The protesters also put forward the demand that no action should be taken against employees who stayed off work on Sunday.
