Bus strike cripples TN for third straight day

CHENNAI: Bus services in Tamil Nadu were paralysed for the third day on Saturday even as the government scurried to make alternative arrangements.

On Saturday, a temporary driver, filling in for striking road transport employees, rammed a corporation bus in Tirupur into a house. “This is what you get when you have anyone driving the bus, which is specialised work,” said C Muthukumaran, a driver working with the Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC), on the government’s move to deploy temporary drivers. He is among the thousands who went on strike for higher pay.

The government has been advertising the posts of temporary drivers over the past two days. Anyone who had passed Class 10 and possessed a valid driving licence was to be hired to operate the fleets of different corporations in the state.

In several cities and towns, bus services were crippled. Striking workers defied the Madras high court order asking them to withdraw strike or face stern action.

Transport workers union leaders said they will challenge the “one-sided” order, which gave no chance to workers to present their case. State transport minister MR Vijayabhaskar said, “I appeal to employees to come back, honourable court has also asked them to come back.” He threatened them with dire consequences if they did not return.