Tamil Nadu Transport Workers Declare Indefinite Strike Amid Pongal Rush

The transport workers in Tamil Nadu have announced an indefinite strike demanding restoration of the old pension scheme and a revised dearness allowance for pensioners. Along with redressal of their current grievances, the transport workers in Tamil Nadu are also pushing for the initiation of talks regarding the 15th Pay Commission. 

The strike comes ahead of Pongal, a major Tamil festival, and is expected to create chaos during the festive rush in the state. With the Tamil Nadu government operating a massive fleet of 22,000 government buses, including 3,200 in Chennai alone, the impact of the strike is expected to be substantial.

All transport unions in Tamil Nadu have rallied behind the cause, except for associations affiliated with the ruling DMK. Talks with the state government over these issues have failed so far.

Tamil Nadu Transport Minister SS Sivasankar, while responding to the ongoing dispute, assured that promises will be fulfilled once the state's finances improve, dismissing the strike as politically motivated. However, the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) expressed frustration on the ongoing situation and said that they had given the government nearly three years to address their concerns. "We have called this strike after waiting for close to three years. The government is unwilling to fulfil even our few basic demands to avert this strike, " A Soundararajan, a CITU leader, told NDTV. 

The Madras High Court is set to hear a plea against the transport strike today. 

The Tamil Nadu transport department employs around 1.2 lakh people, including drivers, conductors, and technicians.