Taking strong exception to the callous attitude of the ADMK regime not holding talks on the demands of the workers of State Transport Corporations, DMK President and former Chief Minister Kalaignar blamed the government for escalating the issue to reach this level of strike by workers.
In a statement, the five-time Chief Minister recalled that after the DMK came to power in 1967 it nationalized buses and the state transport corporation started in the names of Pallavan, Pandian, Cheran and Chozhan had grown like a banyan tree with eight transport corporations with 22,000 buses and 1.43 workers catering to the needs of over two crore passengers daily now.
After the ADMK came to power in 1977, the STC workers demanded interim relief of Rs.100 and went on a strike after their stir was not responded by the government and thousands of workers were arrested.
At the request of the trade unions, Kalaignar said he along with G.K.Moopanar, CPI leader M.Kalyanasundaram and all party leaders jointly asked the government to start talks wage settlement talks and solve the issue and announced all party ‘bandh’ as there was no response from the regime.
The then Chief Minister MGR, while participating at a function in Erode, announced wage increase of Rs.27, following which wage revision talks were held and for the first time a tripartite settlement was reached with an increase of Rs. 54. Beginning then during the same MGR regime wage settlements were reached in the years 1980, 1983 and 1986.
Similarly, after the DMK came to power in 1989, the then Transport Minister M.Kannappan invited unions and solved many pending issues.
Again under ADMK regime in 1992 and 1995 during the same Jayalalitha regime there were wage revision talks and settlements.
After the DMK came to power in 1996, the then Transport Minister K. Ponmudi held talks with unions and a settlement was reached on various issues in 1998 including on their long pending demands including pension just like for government employees.
In 2001, after the ADMK assumed power under Jayalalitha’s leadership, as it was announced that 20 percent bonus (Rs.6,000) paid to transport workers would be reduced to 8.33 percent (Rs. 2,500), the workers were agitated and resorted to stir for 17 days. The ADMK regime did not come forward then also for solving the problem. Not only that; it was her regime which on a single day sacked 1.5 lakh government employees. There were also histories of issuing G.O for the privatization of 50 percent of STC buses.
Immediately after the DMK assumed power for the fifth time in 2006, the term of settlements which was extended to 5 years by the ADMK regime was brought down again to 3 years, two settlements were reached in 2007 and 2010 with the then Transport Minister K.N.Nehru and all the problems of workers were redressed. Issuing GO for treating 17 days’ of strike as working days was hailed a path breaking measure in Indian history.
Again after the change of regime in 2011, Transport Minister Senthil Balaji attempted to privatize fleets of STCs and change the term of settlements from 3 years to 5 years. But due to stiff opposition they could not be implemented. The Employees Federation moved the High Court for selecting trade unions for negotiations through secret ballot in STCs.
As a result of the verdict in that case, union recognition election was conducted, in which securing 57 percent votes of workers (75,432) LPF union was recognized as the sole bargaining union for negotiations. Vide the HC verdict, GO was issued for this recognition for five years up to October 2015. But after the ADMK came to power, it refused to invite and talk to LPF union. As the wage settlement ended with 31.8.2013 and new settlement had to be reached from 1.9.2013, demands were placed and asked for talks the administration did not invite for talks during the last 15 months.
The ADMK union moved the court for inviting them also for talks as they had received 12 percent votes, but no interim stay was order on the plea. Besides not inviting the unitary union of the LPF for talks due to political animosity, the ADMK regime was spreading a false news the LPF had filed some case. After verifying with LPF General Secretary Shanmugham, Kalaignar said he suggested to him to call all trade unions for consultation, jointly place demands and see whether the regime came forward for talks at least then.
Accordingly, all trade unions joined together and invited the ADMK union also for preparing common demand, but the ruling party union rejected the plea. Hence all unions other than that of the ruling party submitted demands and asked the government to hold talks. But the regime again lied of a pending case and delayed. Hence all trade union jointly conducted a conference at Tiruchi on Dec 2 participated by 30,000 workers and according to the decision taken there issued strike notice signed by all to the management on Dec 5. But the management ignored and heroically claimed that the ADMK union had membership of 95,000 and hence they would defeat the strike.
Without inviting trade union representatives for talks on demands, the Chief Minister once again told a lie in the Assembly on 8.12.2014 that a case was pending in the court and announced an interim relief of Rs. 1,000 from 1.1.2015. Incensed by this announcement, gheraoed regional offices of STCs on 9.12.2014 and agitated.
The strike should have formally started on 19.12.2014; the government should have invited for talks immediately after the strike notice was given but the Labour and Transport departments remained passive and ignored the demands.
The DMK leader said transport workers remained patient and with a sense of responsibility mobilized public support from 19.12.2014 to 22.12.2014, lost their patience and decided to strike work from December 29 only after the transport department refused to hold talks with them on December 30. During the talks arranged by the Labour department no responsible higher officials participated. On 27th all trade unions including the ADMK union participated in the talks. When the LPF union, the recognized union, suggested that a tripartite settlement be reached in the presence of the Labour department and talks with all unions be held on Dec 30, the management first agreed but later refused. The management wanted the DMK-affiliated LPF to give it in writing its willingness to take part in the talks. Without seeking prestige the LPF union said they would give the letter but the talks should begin on the day itself when the strike call might be reviewed. But after accepting the letter, it had told them that talks would be held only after December 30 after legal consultations. Hence all trade union representatives announced that till arrangements were made for talks in the presence of the Minister the strike would continue and came out.
He said it was highly condemnable that the Chief Minister and the Transport Minister had allowed the situation to reach this level failing to find a solution at the appropriate time realizing the difficulties over two crore people who voted them to power would have to undergo daily.
“At least now they should come forward to find an amicable solution by holding talks with the representatives of the trade unions,” he said.
Parties seek early end to strike: Leaders of political parties sought the State government’s intervention to bring an end to the strike of the transport employees, saying continuation of the strike would affect crores of people depending on public transport.
PMK leader S. Ramadoss said while Tamil Nadu had not witnessed strike by transport employees for the past 13 years, the State government had forced the workers to resort to the extreme step.
Extending support to the transport employees, CPI (M) State secretary G. Ramakrishnan accused the government of using the ruling partymen to attack the workers in transport depots across the State.
In a statement, the five-time Chief Minister recalled that after the DMK came to power in 1967 it nationalized buses and the state transport corporation started in the names of Pallavan, Pandian, Cheran and Chozhan had grown like a banyan tree with eight transport corporations with 22,000 buses and 1.43 workers catering to the needs of over two crore passengers daily now.
After the ADMK came to power in 1977, the STC workers demanded interim relief of Rs.100 and went on a strike after their stir was not responded by the government and thousands of workers were arrested.
At the request of the trade unions, Kalaignar said he along with G.K.Moopanar, CPI leader M.Kalyanasundaram and all party leaders jointly asked the government to start talks wage settlement talks and solve the issue and announced all party ‘bandh’ as there was no response from the regime.
The then Chief Minister MGR, while participating at a function in Erode, announced wage increase of Rs.27, following which wage revision talks were held and for the first time a tripartite settlement was reached with an increase of Rs. 54. Beginning then during the same MGR regime wage settlements were reached in the years 1980, 1983 and 1986.
Similarly, after the DMK came to power in 1989, the then Transport Minister M.Kannappan invited unions and solved many pending issues.
Again under ADMK regime in 1992 and 1995 during the same Jayalalitha regime there were wage revision talks and settlements.
After the DMK came to power in 1996, the then Transport Minister K. Ponmudi held talks with unions and a settlement was reached on various issues in 1998 including on their long pending demands including pension just like for government employees.
In 2001, after the ADMK assumed power under Jayalalitha’s leadership, as it was announced that 20 percent bonus (Rs.6,000) paid to transport workers would be reduced to 8.33 percent (Rs. 2,500), the workers were agitated and resorted to stir for 17 days. The ADMK regime did not come forward then also for solving the problem. Not only that; it was her regime which on a single day sacked 1.5 lakh government employees. There were also histories of issuing G.O for the privatization of 50 percent of STC buses.
Immediately after the DMK assumed power for the fifth time in 2006, the term of settlements which was extended to 5 years by the ADMK regime was brought down again to 3 years, two settlements were reached in 2007 and 2010 with the then Transport Minister K.N.Nehru and all the problems of workers were redressed. Issuing GO for treating 17 days’ of strike as working days was hailed a path breaking measure in Indian history.
Again after the change of regime in 2011, Transport Minister Senthil Balaji attempted to privatize fleets of STCs and change the term of settlements from 3 years to 5 years. But due to stiff opposition they could not be implemented. The Employees Federation moved the High Court for selecting trade unions for negotiations through secret ballot in STCs.
As a result of the verdict in that case, union recognition election was conducted, in which securing 57 percent votes of workers (75,432) LPF union was recognized as the sole bargaining union for negotiations. Vide the HC verdict, GO was issued for this recognition for five years up to October 2015. But after the ADMK came to power, it refused to invite and talk to LPF union. As the wage settlement ended with 31.8.2013 and new settlement had to be reached from 1.9.2013, demands were placed and asked for talks the administration did not invite for talks during the last 15 months.
The ADMK union moved the court for inviting them also for talks as they had received 12 percent votes, but no interim stay was order on the plea. Besides not inviting the unitary union of the LPF for talks due to political animosity, the ADMK regime was spreading a false news the LPF had filed some case. After verifying with LPF General Secretary Shanmugham, Kalaignar said he suggested to him to call all trade unions for consultation, jointly place demands and see whether the regime came forward for talks at least then.
Accordingly, all trade unions joined together and invited the ADMK union also for preparing common demand, but the ruling party union rejected the plea. Hence all unions other than that of the ruling party submitted demands and asked the government to hold talks. But the regime again lied of a pending case and delayed. Hence all trade union jointly conducted a conference at Tiruchi on Dec 2 participated by 30,000 workers and according to the decision taken there issued strike notice signed by all to the management on Dec 5. But the management ignored and heroically claimed that the ADMK union had membership of 95,000 and hence they would defeat the strike.
Without inviting trade union representatives for talks on demands, the Chief Minister once again told a lie in the Assembly on 8.12.2014 that a case was pending in the court and announced an interim relief of Rs. 1,000 from 1.1.2015. Incensed by this announcement, gheraoed regional offices of STCs on 9.12.2014 and agitated.
The strike should have formally started on 19.12.2014; the government should have invited for talks immediately after the strike notice was given but the Labour and Transport departments remained passive and ignored the demands.
The DMK leader said transport workers remained patient and with a sense of responsibility mobilized public support from 19.12.2014 to 22.12.2014, lost their patience and decided to strike work from December 29 only after the transport department refused to hold talks with them on December 30. During the talks arranged by the Labour department no responsible higher officials participated. On 27th all trade unions including the ADMK union participated in the talks. When the LPF union, the recognized union, suggested that a tripartite settlement be reached in the presence of the Labour department and talks with all unions be held on Dec 30, the management first agreed but later refused. The management wanted the DMK-affiliated LPF to give it in writing its willingness to take part in the talks. Without seeking prestige the LPF union said they would give the letter but the talks should begin on the day itself when the strike call might be reviewed. But after accepting the letter, it had told them that talks would be held only after December 30 after legal consultations. Hence all trade union representatives announced that till arrangements were made for talks in the presence of the Minister the strike would continue and came out.
He said it was highly condemnable that the Chief Minister and the Transport Minister had allowed the situation to reach this level failing to find a solution at the appropriate time realizing the difficulties over two crore people who voted them to power would have to undergo daily.
“At least now they should come forward to find an amicable solution by holding talks with the representatives of the trade unions,” he said.
Parties seek early end to strike: Leaders of political parties sought the State government’s intervention to bring an end to the strike of the transport employees, saying continuation of the strike would affect crores of people depending on public transport.
PMK leader S. Ramadoss said while Tamil Nadu had not witnessed strike by transport employees for the past 13 years, the State government had forced the workers to resort to the extreme step.
Extending support to the transport employees, CPI (M) State secretary G. Ramakrishnan accused the government of using the ruling partymen to attack the workers in transport depots across the State.
No comments:
Post a Comment