Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami and Transport Minister M.R. Vijayabhaskar on Sunday separately appealed to the striking transport workers to resume duty heeding the Madras High Court’s direction as two persons were killed in separate accidents involving buses reportedly driven by drivers hired on a casual basis in Cuddalore and Chennai districts.
However, the unions said they would continue the strike and justify their stand in the court on Monday.
In Virudhachalam, a temporary driver J. Elumalai, who was driving a bus from the TNSTC depot, rammed a motorcycle being driven by Seon Kumar, 37, with two pillion riders. Seon succumbed to injuries following which the police arrested Mr. Elumalai.
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In Chennai, an 18-year-old youth — Joseph alias Ajit of Dooming Kuppam — was run over by an MTC bus when his bike skidded on the Santhome High Road. While it was claimed that the bus driver was hired on an ad hoc basis, the police did not confirm the same.
Meanwhile, ruling out further talks with the unions, Mr. Vijayabhaskar accused them, including the CITU, of misleading workers on the actual wage revision. Releasing the break-up of the revised wages that the government was willing to pay, he told journalists: “If all the workers come to know about these figures, they will return to work.”