People waiting in bus stops for hours, share-autos crammed with passengers, auto drivers working overtime to accommodate the rush, office-goers running late, students being forced to miss classes – the bus strike in Tamil Nadu crippled the state for almost a week. But now commuters can let out a sigh of relief as TN transporter association has announced that it will withdraw its strike. They will resume duties from Friday, 12 January, reported ANI.
The striking unions wanted the wage revision to be fixed at 2.57 times – while the state government insisted it be 2.44.
On the other hand, the amendment in the state assembly will pave way for almost doubling the salary of the state’s 235 legislators – from Rs 55,000 to Rs 1.05 lakh per month. The failed talks between the government and union workers had inconvenienced lakhs of people throughout the state. In these circumstances, is this bill even fair?
Can’t TN Govt Afford to Pay Transport Workers?
The proposal to hike wages of the MLAs was announced in July 2016, when the state was going through a major agriculture crisis plagued with droughts and farmer suicides. Anticipating public outrage if they give their consent to the bill, the opposition DMK raised objections in the house.
Debutant MLA TTV Dhinakaran was also quick to clarify he didn’t support the bill.
I oppose this 100 percent salary hike for MLAs. This is unnecessary when the state is facing such a crisis. I think this has been done to keep MLAs in good books in the present situation.TTV Dhinakaran, RK Nagar MLA
On 8 January, the government was criticised for using a state-run bus to transport MLAs from the Assembly to the MLA Hostel – while temporary drivers were employed for the buses for the public.
Let's Talk Numbers
According to the tabled bill for the MLAs, apart from the salary revision, some of the other allowances proposed are telephone allowance revised to Rs 7,500 from Rs 5,000 and vehicle allowance from Rs 20,000 to Rs 25,000.
A 0.13 percent difference couldn't be bridged despite 23 meetings exchanged between the government and the workers, because the state coffers didn't have enough funds. But the salary hike for the MLAs will cost the Tamil Nadu exchequer an additional expenditure of over Rs 25 crore (Rs 25,32,72,000), according to Times Now.
Guess Who Has Questions For the Govt
People holding on to phones waiting for buses for hours and having to squeeze themselves in an already crowded share autos were thoroughly upset when they saw news channels flash the agenda for the Assembly session. Many took to social media to express their angst.
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