Members of the Joint Action Committee of Trade Unions of auto rickshaw drivers staged a protest near the Coimbatore South Taluk office on Friday condemning the increase in vehicle insurance premium, relaxation in conditions to gain membership to the drivers’ welfare board and seeking early disbursement of benefits from the board.
The members of unions affiliated to the CITU, AITUC, MLF, DMDK, MTS Rajini and a few others raised slogans.
The Committee's district president P.K. Sukumaran said that in the last few years the cost of insurance premium had increased from ₹3,000 to ₹9,000. Only the insurance companies benefited from the increase in premium as very few drivers were able to derive benefit from the insurance cover. Therefore, the Central Government should take steps to bring down the premium, he said. The drivers’ next demand was relaxation of rule that stipulated that only those drivers with public badge would be eligible to be members of the auto rickshaw drivers' welfare board.
Of the 15,000-odd drivers in Coimbatore, around 80% did not have badge and therefore were ineligible to become members, Mr. Sukumaran said that and added that this deprived ageing auto rickshaw drivers of the monthly pension that the board provided.
Welfare assistance
Mr. Sukumaran also wanted the drivers’ welfare board to disburse welfare assistance as there had been instances of drivers running from pillar to post for three to six months to get the assistance that were due to them.
