The Hindu : Front Page : Bus, lorry operators call off strike

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Nov 04, 2006
ePaper

Front Page

Front Page

Bus, lorry operators call off strike

Special Correspondent

Transport Minister says no new promises given to operators in talks

SETTLING ISSUES: Transport Minister Mathew T. Thomas holding talks with representatives of bus and truck owners unions in Thiruvananthapuram on Friday.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Bus, tanker and lorry operators called off their five-day-old strike following talks with Transport Minister Mathew T. Thomas here on Friday.

While Kerala State Private Bus Operators Federation president A.K. Abdulla announced in the morning that the bus operators were withdrawing their strike, chairman of the bus and lorry owners' coordination committee P. Ramachandran and president of the Kerala State Private Bus Owners Federation Khalid Mundapilly said in the afternoon that they were only deferring the strike. The two groups had held discussions with the Transport Minister separately.

The Minister told journalists that the Government had made no new promises to the bus and lorry operators other than taking measures to expedite the promulgation of an Ordinance exempting the use of speed governors on heavy vehicles. However, there could be no assurance on how long the Centre would take to clear the Ordinance which required the President's assent.

Expressing happiness over the withdrawal of the strike, the Minister said the Government had taken strong action against the operators only to mitigate the sufferings faced by the general public. It did not want to suppress the agitation. It had conceded their demands to the extent possible in the beginning of the strike itself. "It is a normal ending to an unjust strike.''

Mr. Thomas said the Government had agreed to discuss other concerns of the transport industry later. However, all their demands could not be conceded. The talks were held as directed by Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan after the operators had met him in Kochi on Thursday. He said the Government would have been forced to take stronger action if the strike had continued. The Government, he said, gave no assurance to the operators on the contents of the Action Taken Report (ATR) to be filed before the Supreme Court on the enforcement of its order on speed governors. This would be decided in consultation with legal experts. The Government's view was that enforcement of the rule on speed governors in one State alone was impractical.

Mr. Abdulla said the strike was being withdrawn in view of the promises of the Minister to expedite the Ordinance and also considering the difficulties faced by the public.

Mr. Khalid said the coordination committee would consider resumption of the strike on November 20.

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

Front Page