Drivers and conductors of the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation affiliated to the TNSTC Coimbatore Labour Union petitioned the Collector seeking better working conditions. The drivers and conductors led by CPI district secretary and MLA M. Arumugham complained that unless the drivers and conducts, who were on employed on temporary basis, “cooperated” with the members of the ruling party, they were not made permanent employees.
This was against the rules that mandated that all those temporary employees who had completed 240 days on duty should be made permanent.
The petitioners also said that the Corporation did not pay the temporary employees the wages they ought to pay – which was a percentage of what it paid the permanent drivers and conductors. The Corporation did not pay wages/salaries on the first day of every month, failed to deposit the salary deductions to the agencies concerned like insurance company, did not give retirement benefits like gratuity on the day of retirement and did not pay the leave surrender wages as well.
Since the financial health of the Corporation was poor, the Government must take over the duty of providing pension and retirement benefits to the retirees and employees. They also sought an end to the interference of the members of the trade union affiliated to the ruling party.
