The Hindu : Front Page : Efforts on to avert lorry strike

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Apr 10, 2006

Front Page

Front Page

Efforts on to avert lorry strike

Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Conciliatory talks convened by Labour Commissioner A.J. Rajan to avert an indefinite strike threatened by goods carriers, lorries, tanker lorries and contract carriages were continuing late into the night on Sunday.

The lorry and contract carriage owners had threatened to go on strike from midnight on Sunday in protest against the directive for payment of dues to the Motor Workers' Welfare Fund along with the road tax. Owners of private mini-buses and taxis have also threatened to join them.

The Labour Department had issued an order directing that taxes would be collected from vehicle owners from April 1 this year only if they paid double the amount as their contribution to the Welfare Fund. Owners failing to remit the taxes will not be able to operate their vehicles after the grace period is over.

The quantum of the contribution had been a contentious issue for some time now.

At a meeting attended by Labour Minister Babu Divakaran in August last year, the Government had agreed to reduce rate of the owner's contribution to the Welfare Fund from Rs.350 to Rs.200 an employee a month. It was also proposed that the contributions would not have to be paid in advance.

The unions of contract carriages, truck, lorry operators are saying that the Labour Department had issued the latest order in contravention of the agreement reached during the talks with the Minister. They want the status quo to be restored.

The strike, if it materialises, is expected to throw the movement of essential commodities and vegetables in the State into disarray. Many of these items come to the State from neighbouring States on lorries.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Front Page

News Update

Stories in this Section