The Hindu : Motor transport workers drop strike plan

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Feb 12, 2004

Kerala

Kerala

Motor transport workers drop strike plan

By Our Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, FEB. 11. Motor transport workers have decided to give up their proposed indefinite strike from February 23. This follows an agreement on major demands of the workers at the talks between leaders of transport workers' unions and the Transport Minister, R. Balakrishna Pillai, here today.

According to the unions, the Transport Minister agreed to appoint an expert committee to make a comprehensive study of the problems in the transport sector and to come out with a Transport Policy after taking into account the views of the workers' unions as well. The Minister, they said, had also promised to take steps for revising taxi and autorickshaw fares within three months and revise the fare wages of motor transport workers in consultation with the Department of Labour.

The workers' joint action council convener, Elamaram Kareem, said the Motor Transport Workers' Welfare Fund Scheme would be made applicable to all transport workers and steps taken to get all transport workers registered as members of the scheme and identity cards issued. Union representatives would be included as members of district road safety committees and a mechanism to provide assistance to transport workers who sustain injuries in road accidents created.

Digital meters would be installed in autorickshaws registered from April. In the case of old autorickshaws, digital meters would be made mandatory in stages. Curbs would be imposed in grant of permits to taxi cars and autorickshaws and parking facilities created wherever possible. The Government would not insist on painting the top of autorickshaws yellow.

Facilities would be created at the offices of the Joint Regional Transport Officers for issuing fitness certificates for vehicles aged above 20 years. Autorickshaws operating in one district would also be permitted to travel 10 kilometres into neighbouring districts. In goods autorickshaws, the person who transports goods would be allowed to travel with the driver. Facilities would be created in RTO offices in all districts to enable tourist taxi operators to secure the necessary authorisation. Call taxi system would not be permitted.

According to Mr. Kareem, the Minister would place before the Central Government their other demands as these fell under its purview. He also offered to hold another round of talks with the workers' unions in the presence of the Labour Minister, Babu Divakaran. Since the Transport Minister had shown the willingness to accept the major demands of the workers, the indefinite strike planned from February 23 was being given up.

Besides, the Transport Minister, the Transport Secretary and the Transport Commissioner represented the Government at the talks. The workers were represented by Mr. Kareem, P. Nandakumar, M. Ibrahim Kutty and Kadakampally Surendran (CITU), K. Sadirikkoya and K. C. Ramachandran (INTUC), K. Gangadharan (BMS), K. M. Kuttikrishnan and Kuttiyanikkad Madhu (AITUC), U. Pokker (STU), K. K. Mammu (TUCI) and V. Chandran Nair (INLC).

Mr. Kareem claimed that the Government was forced to concede the major demands of the workers on account of their unity and urged all sections of workers to remain united to secure their rightful demands.

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