The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Truck drivers stage dharna

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Saturday, May 22, 2010
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Truck drivers stage dharna

Correspondent

There were heated exchanges between Minister and union leaders

VIZIANAGARAM: Drivers of District Motor Transport Workers' Union, affiliated to CITU, on Friday staged a dharna at the Collector's office demanding that the district administration pressure truck owners to enter into a written agreement on fixation of wages that was arrived at between truck owners and the union representatives on May 5.

The protesters picked an argument when Minister for Panchayat Raj Botcha Satyanarayana, while expressing his inability to solve their problem, informed them that the Collector would look into the issue.

Arrested

There were heated exchanges between the Minister and the union leaders for some time and nothing was audible in the din. After the Minister left the place in a huff, the protesters rushed to the entrance and raised slogans against the Minister.

At this stage, police arrested T. Suryanarayana, CITU general secretary and two other union leaders and took them in a jeep. Truck drivers, who were present in good number, followed the jeep and blocked it.

Effort in vain

When police tried to disperse them the truck drivers offered resistance leading to the arrest of 36 of them. Union president G. Ramu said that truck owners had agreed to increase their wages from the present Rs. 3000 to Rs. 3700 and that of cleaners from Rs. 1750 to Rs. 1950 per month but did not oblige to put the assurance on paper.

The truck drivers of L. Kota, S. Kota and Vepada mandals have been on strike for the last fortnight.

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