THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Left Democratic Front (LDF) leadership and major trade unions have offered full support for the stand taken by the Government on the four-day-old strike by private bus and tanker operators.

While the LDF leadership asked the Government to take stern measures to bring the bus operators and tanker lorry owners around, the trade union leaders said they would provide all help to the Government in restoring normality of services. Going one step further, the LDF leadership called upon the Government to invoke any law it deemed fit to ensure that buses resumed operation and tanker lorries and other carriages were available for routine service.

Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan chaired the meeting of the LDF leadership, which was attended by Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan and Transport Minister Mathew T. Thomas. The meeting was of the view that the bus-lorry strike had not justification as the Government had done whatever it could to address the transport operators' concerns about the Supreme Court directive for installation of speed governors in their vehicles.

Briefing reporters after the LDF panel meeting here on Thursday morning, its convener Vaikom Viswan said the committee had decided to ask the Government to seize vehicles that refused to operate and issue temporary permits to those who were ready to operate services to ease the serious crisis in the transport sector and the likely shortage of fuels. There was also the possibility of prices going up as a result of shortages arising from the strike and there were also reports of violence in some parts of the State. The Government must not allow either to happen, he said.

Security flaws

Replying to questions, Mr. Viswan said the LDF panel did not discuss the alleged flaws in Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's security during his visit to the State to inaugurate the golden jubilee of the State's formation as the Government had already made it clear that it would fix responsibility and initiate appropriate action.

The trade unions, cutting across political affiliations, came out against the transport operators' stir after their meeting with the Chief Minister at his chamber in the morning.

Speaking on behalf of the unions, Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) State general secretary M.M. Lawrence said the unions had offered full support to any legal measure that the Government would take to bring the strike to an end. He was accompanied by Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) State president K. Suresh Babu, All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) State secretary Pattom Sasidharan, United Trade Union Congress (UTUC) State secretary A.A. Aziz and leaders of the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) and other unions.

Mr. Lawrence said there was no justification for the transporters' strike and that the only outcome of the strike would be inconvenience to the people.

The State Government, he pointed out, is duty-bound to implement the Supreme Court directive and, as such, the strike is uncalled for, he added.

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