The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Tuesday directed the striking Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation employees to give up their stir and return to work immediately. The Bench passed the orders acting on a public interest litigation (PIL) petition by a lawyer to invoke THE Essential ServiceS Maintenance Act against the strike.
The court’s direction comes as many buses continued to remain off the roads with commuters forced to opt for other modes of travel, as the stir announced by 10 transport unions entered the third day on Tuesday.
The State government said it had so far held five rounds of talks with the unions on a range of issues, including pending post retirement benefits, and added that there is “nothing more that it can do”.
“It is in their hands. The employees will for sure take a good decision. The strike will fail. Chief Minister E. Palaniswami has assured the workers of implementing their demands,” Transport minister M.R. Vijayabaskar told reporters in Chennai.
Seeking to reassure the public, the government said there was no need for concern as buses would be back on the roads soon.
Officials came up with alternative plans to clear the rush with private buses pressed into service in Chennai and other parts of the State. Temporary drivers were also being deployed to ferry passengers, officials said.
Private buses being operated at Anna Square terminus in Chennai in view of the state transport employees strike on Tuesday.
In Kancheepuram, officials have instructed the working TNSTC staff to operate long distance services as “3S” services so that the need to deploy a conductor could be avoided. As per this plan, the vehicle that leaves a bus stand would stop at two intermediate stops before reaching the destination. Thus the driver himself could don the role of a conductor, officials claimed.
To tide over the state transport staff strike, TNSTC officials have introduced point to point conductor-less bus services. One such bus being operated in Salem district on Tuesday.
In Thoothukkudi district, officials claimed that nearly 67% of the TNSTC buses were in operation.
In Coimbatore, unions claimed that 90% of the buses are grounded. Crews from private buses and heavy vehicle licence holders are temporarily employed on buses plying to Udhagamandalam. Though nearly 20% of the 1,369 buses in Coimbatore were plying in the morning, more employees started staying off duty by noon, unions claimed. Union representatives have condemned the temporary appointments as they are not experienced in handling buses. More than 95% of technical staff employed at 17 depots in Coimbatore are also reportedly not working.
In Chennai, people were still seen using alternative modes of transport such as the suburban train service, the Metro, autorickshaws, “share autorickshaws” and taxis. Some commuters complained of overcharging by autorickshaws and “share autorickshaws”.
The Southern Railway is also operating extra services connecting Chennai and many other cities of the State, besides increasing the number of trips on the suburban routes in the city.
The unions had said they would go on strike from Monday if talks held last week on various issues failed. However, a section of employees embarked on protest from Sunday evening itself.
(With inputs from PTI and our correspondents in Madurai, Kancheepuram and Coimbatore)
