Ten trade unions, including those affiliated to the DMK, Congress and Communist and among others, came together demanding the management to implement their long pending grievances, including settlement of DA arrears, here on Tuesday.
The Madurai division of TNSTC comprises Madurai, Virudhunagar and Dindigul. There are as many as 15,000 employees working in various depots.
The main demands included confirmation of workers, who had served continuously for 240 days, payment of arrears of DA for nine months, payment of arrears to retired employees under the social security scheme and to treat the one-day leave of absence on December 2 as a working day since they had all been to Tiruchi to attend a conference to discuss the modalities for the strike planned on December 9.
However, senior officers representing the government assured to clear the confirmation of workers, who had served for 240 days in about seven days. Likewise, they promised to give DA arrears in instalments beginning from January. The officers also said that the social security scheme would be given in about three equal instalments.
Not convinced, a majority of the workers resorted to shouting slogans and some among them closed the main doors of the TNSTC head office on the bypass road. Though police force arrived, there was no untoward incident.
When the senior TNSTC officials said that they would stick to their assurance, some of the representatives of the workers appeared to be convinced and left the venue, following which the workers also dispersed after which the ‘high drama’ ended by 9 p.m.
