The Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) Employees Union, affiliated to the All India Trade Union Congress, has appealed to the State government to hike their salaries on par with employees of the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB).
J.Lakshmanan, state secretary of the union said here on Saturday that this demand will be highlighted at the state level conference of the employees to be held at Madurai on July 21. The union has been making this demand since 1998. The then Transport minister K.Ponmudy accepted this demand and announced its implementation which didn't materialise. The 10th wage agreement for the employees will end in August 2010. The Madurai conference will finalise the demands before the new wage agreement is signed.
Mr. Lakshmanan pointed out the disparity in salary among the employees of the corporation. While salary is paid as per the Sixth Pay Commission recommendation to officials, engineers and supervisors of the corporation, long term wage scheme is implemented for conductors, drivers and clerical staff. In TNEB, however, there is uniformity in salary. A uniform system of salary structure should be followed for all employees in the corporation , Mr. Lakshmanan said.
Provision for pension should be made in the new agreement for 40,000 employees who joined the corporation after 2003. The union will also demand time-bound promotion to all employees, appointment on compassionate grounds to the kin of those who died while on duty.
