T.N. bus strike | Public transport affected in Madurai district; officials claim 98% of buses are running

With workers of the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) beginning their State-wide protest on Tuesday, January 9, 2024, bus services were limited in Madurai district, affecting commuters

With workers of the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) beginning their State-wide protest on Tuesday, January 9, 2024, bus services were limited in Madurai district, affecting commuters.

However, TNSTC officials claimed that 931 buses of 944 buses from 16 branches in Madurai district (98.62%) were being operated.

Workers who are union members belonging to various trade unions including the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) and the Anna Thozhir Sangam, among others, began their strike on Tuesday morning, after talks with the government failed over their demands.

As workers of the Labour Progressive Federation (LPF) and Indian National Transport Union Congress (INTUC) have stayed away from the protest, they are operating the buses, said a TNSTC official. In addition, trainees from the Institute of Road Transport (IRT) were asked to fill in the gap, until the protesters returned to work.

As this was the first day of the protest, services were not badly affected but if this continued, bus operations would be severely hit, said the official.  

Kumar, a driver, said, they were asked to work for a second shift without a break. “Bus operations could drastically go down affecting transportation to rural areas when many workers who are now on additional duty take their break,” he said.

R. Deivaraj, CITU district president, said about 4,500 TNSTC workers in the district have participated in the indefinite strike. “Even though the government utilises trainees and other drivers in operating buses, they cannot handle the buses which are already in a bad condition,” he pointed out.