Tamil Nadu: After stiff High Court prod, bus strike called off

Chennai: The eight-day transport strike ended late Thursday with workers' unions announcing that government buses would be back on roads. 

“We have temporarily suspended our strike and our workers will return to work tomorrow morning”, CITU leader A. Souderarajan told reporters after the unions held protracted discussions following the high court order appointing an arbitrator to adjudicate the difference of 0.13 multiplying factor (wage hike) and the date on which it should be applied. 

Earlier in the day, a division bench comprising Justices S.Manikumar and M.Govindaraj said, “In the interest of children, students, workers, patients, office goers, traders, small time vendors, poor and middle class people, who represent the larger section of commuters, we direct the transport corporation employees to resume work immediately.”      

Speaking before transport employees, CITU state secretary A. Soundararajan said that the protest has been a success and the workers should continue their work with the bliss of victory. 

The  trade union leader also thanked members of public for understanding their plight and extending their support to the strike called for genuine labour related issues. He also told the government employees to return to the depot and serve the public with gait and confidence, as the state government could not take departmental action against them without informing the court. “Respecting the court order, we are suspending the strike for one month,” a union leader said. “Normal bus services will resume once the employees join duty on Friday,” a transport department official said.