Tamil Nadu bus strike enters Day 2: Here's why transport workers are protesting

livemint.com:

The Hindu has stated that despite the strike, the state Transport Department has said that normal bus services are being run in Chennai city and across the State. Citing a senior official, the report further said that since today morning, the Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) in Chennai operated 3,177 buses which is slightly below its usual 3,233 buses.

Earlier on Tuesday too, about 95 per cent of buses in the state were being operated amid the strike call given by various transport unions, officials said as reported by PTI. The union workers have accused the state government of neglecting their demands. Apart from the signing of the 15th wage revision agreement to increase pay, the workers have also demanded the government fill up the vacancies for bus drivers and conductors.

In addition to this, their demands also includes releasing the dearness allowance (DA) of ₹6,000 per month for the retired workers, which has been on hold since last eight years. The workers affiliated with the major unions--Centre of Indian Trade Union (CITU), All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), and Anna Thozhir Sanga Peravai (ATSP), among others--are part of the strike.

Meanwhile, in the Tirunelveli district, all the buses left the workshops for Madurai, Kanyakumari, Tenkasi, Thoothukudi, Tiruchendur, Rajapalayam, and Sankarankovil and are running as usual. There are 898 buses in Government Transport Tirunelveli Zone, including 7 depots in Tirunelveli district, 7 depots in Thoothukudi district and 4 depots in Tenkasi district.

Moreover, the government has appointed monitoring officers, who are monitoring the operation of all the buses as per the schedule. Police have also been stationed in front of all workshops and bus depots for