[Reader-list] Thousands Denied Salaries

[A. Mani]

Source: People's Democracy
January 29, 2012



Minister’s Comment provoked Transport Worker’s Suicide

Thousands Denied Salaries



>From Our Special Correspondent in Kolkata



ALONG with the peasants, now it is the turn of transport workers to
face the consequences of the misguided policies of the TMC-led
government of West Bengal. Vikram Singh, an employee of Calcutta
Tramways Company, a state run transport corporation, committed suicide
as he was denied about four months of salary. Singh, along with
thousands of employees of four state run transport companies was not
receiving his due salary as the TMC led government has bluntly blocked
the ‘subsidy’ for their wages. The workers are facing tremendous
hardship and many of them were forced to take loans to run their
families.



The immediate provocation for Vikram Singh’s desperate bid to end his
life might have come from a public statement by the newly promoted
transport minister Madan Mitra. Mitra told media on January 24 that
the state government would stop all support for the transport
corporations and quipped, “From where the money will come, from USA?”
This, along with utterly disgraceful comments about the workers,
created a wave of frustration and anger among the workers throughout
the state. Young Vikram Singh, already neck deep in loans and his wife
being pregnant, decided to end his life hours after that nasty comment
from the minister, which was televised. He was a resident of Rishra in
Hooghly and was posted in Ghasbagan depot of Howrah. His father was a
mason.


Just after assuming office, the TMC led government targeted to
drastically reduce the support for four state run transport companies.
The first victims were the pensioners who were denied their dues for
months. Then the wages of the workers were stopped. With hue and cry
all over, the state government released some money and then again
halted the process. Meanwhile, the casual workers were specially
targeted and their salary was stopped for four months. In Ghasbagan
depot of CTC , where Vikram Singh worked, all 85 employees of
engineering department and 258 workers of traffic section were denied
salaries for the last four months. The state government has hinted
quite clearly that they were not going to continue with subsidies. The
so called ‘loss’ and ‘non viability’ theories, frequently floated by
the votaries of the neo liberal policies, were loudly aired. According
to the CITU state president Shyamal Chakraborty , this was nothing but
a ploy to privatise transport sector in the state.

The suicide of a transport worker evoked strong condemnation from all
quarters. CPI(M) state secretary Biman Basu has categorically said
that the policies of the TMC led government was the root cause of this
tragic loss of life. Suryakanta Misra, leader of opposition, said, the
peasants were committing suicide, the tea garden workers were starving
to death and now the workers of the state run corporations have
followed suit. The TMC led government is pursuing anti-people
policies. Even in developed countries, transport sector is subsidised.
The INTUC has also condemned the inhuman comments of the minister.



The transport workers have decided to protest the move of the state
government jointly.



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