Skip to main content

Delhi transport workers not paid wages for two months, union warns protest action

By Harsh Thakor 
The problems of the employees of Delhi Transport Corporation are aggravating, day by day.DTC Employees Ekta Union' wrote a letter to the Chief Minister of Delhi informing him about the problems faced by the employees.
The union says that the pensioners of Delhi Transport Corporation have been denied pension for the last 2 months. Apart from this, the union has demanded redressal from the Kejriwal government to discuss the issue of ensuring the contract workers.
The union alleges that even after a considerable period, they have received no response from the Delhi government. This is the reason the union has written a letter on both the above problems yesterday, 28th December, demanding immediate solution to both the problems.
The letter written by the union states that the pensioners and widows of the deceased employees are facing innumerable difficulties.. There is no ration in the houses of the pensioners or money to pay the rent of the house. Pensioners were forced to ask for food from the neighbourhood.
DTC Employees Unity Union has also written in the letter that many pensioners shared their pathetic circumstances with the union.
The union has appealed to the Delhi government to pay the pension as soon as possible. The union has also declared to protest with the pensioners if the pension is not paid immediately.
At the same time, the Union has written another letter to the Chief Minister. Here the union has raised issue making the contract workers permanent. The union says that if the government will abide duration to confirm the employees, then it must unhesitatingly pay normal wages for normal work.
The union has written a letter to the Delhi government demanding to ensure a meeting at the earliest to discuss the problems of the DTC employees.
It may be noted that last month, the DTC Employees Ekta Union had warned of agitation on December 17 for non-payment of two months' arrears of salary to the contract employees.
On December 12, on the call of DTC employees' union “DTC Workers Unity Center” affiliated to AICCTU, the employees expressed their anger by protesting outside various depots of Delhi Transport Corporation.
The union has warned the DTC management and the Delhi government of a major agitation if the salaries are not paid soon.
According to a press release issued by the union, the union claims that both the DTC management and the Delhi government have been consistently negligent towards the demands of the employees of the Delhi Transport Corporation. Due to stubborn and anti-labour attitude, in the past also the employees have been compelled to resort picketing and even going on strike.
There have been reports of non-payment of salaries to the employees of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD). DTC contract employees fear that the condition of the Delhi Transport Corporation may also become like that of the MCD contract employees.
DTC Workers Unity Center (ACTU) demands that the government and management should immediately release the salary of all employees and pension of retired employees.
The union believes that the responsibility of running the public transport properly is as much the responsibility of the employees, but the government is not acting in a responsible manner.
It may be known that the contract employees of DTC have been demanding permanent work for a sustained period. The union says that the management and the Delhi government have placed the demand of confirmation of contract employees and increase in the number of DTC buses in the dust. Along with this, there is a lot of dissatisfaction among the corporation employees in the union regarding the privatization of DTC.
DTC contract workers allege that the current condition of DTC is deteriorating because of the intensifying privatization of DTC and corrupt officials present in the management. It is regrettable that the different parties in the capital of Delhi are not raising their voice to save the public transport to the extent with which they invest money and power in the corporation elections.
The DTC Workers' Unity Center (ACTU) has warned the management and the Delhi government that the union it will be imperative for union leaders to intensify the stir if the salaries are not disbursed at the earliest.
Various organizations of DTC contract employees have warned the management and the Delhi government of igniting a major agitation for non-payment of salaries immediately.
An ideal illustration of the plight of workers all over the country with the crisis of globalisation accentuating, placing the working class at the merciless hand of the capitalist or corporates. It has become a routine practice of managements to abstain from regular payment of salaries or wages. This makes it all the more vital for workers of all spheres to unite on issues, to safeguard basic rights.
---
Harsh Thakor is a freelance journalist who has covered mass movements in India

Comments

TRENDING

When democracy becomes a performance: The Tibetan exile experience

By Tseten Lhundup*  I was born in Bylakuppe, one of the largest Tibetan settlements in southern India. From childhood, I grew up in simple barracks, along muddy roads, and in fields with limited resources. Over the years, I have watched our democratic system slowly erode. Observing the recent budget session of the 17th Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile, these “democratic procedures” appear grand and orderly on the surface, yet in reality they amount to little more than empty formalities. The parliamentarians seem largely disconnected from the everyday struggles faced by ordinary exiled Tibetans like us.

Civil society flags widespread violations of land acquisition Act before Parliamentary panel

By Jag Jivan   Civil society organisations and stakeholders from across India have presented stark evidence before the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Rural Development and Panchayati Raj , alleging systemic violations of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (RFCTLARR) Act, 2013 , particularly in Scheduled Areas and tribal regions.

Beyond the island: Top mythologist reorients the geography of the Ramayana

By Jag Jivan   In a compelling new analysis that challenges conventional geographical assumptions about the ancient epic, writer and mythologist Devdutt Pattanaik has traced the roots of the Ramayana to the forests and river systems of Central and Eastern India, rather than the peninsular south or the modern island nation of Sri Lanka.

Alarming decline in India's repair culture threatens circular economy goals: Study

By Jag Jivan  A comprehensive new study by environmental research and advocacy organisation Toxics Link has painted a worrying picture of India's fading repair culture, warning that the trend towards replacement over repair is accelerating the country's already critical e-waste crisis.

Dr. Ram Bux Singh: Biogas pioneer’s legacy gains urgency amid energy crisis

By A Representative   In an era defined by a global energy crisis and a desperate search for sustainable solutions, the visionary work of an Indian scientist from the mid-20th century is finding renewed, urgent relevance. Dr. Ram Bux Singh , a pioneering figure in biogas and renewable energy , is being posthumously honored by the Government of India, even as his decades-old innovations provide a blueprint for today’s challenges.

Protesters in UK cities voice concerns over alleged developments in Bastar region

By A Representative   Demonstrations were held across several cities in the United Kingdom on March 28, as groups and activists gathered to protest what they described as state actions in India under the reported “Operation Kagar.”

The soundtrack of resistance: How 'Sada Sada Ya Nabi' is fueling the Iran war

​ By Syed Ali Mujtaba*  ​The Persian track “ Sada Sada Ya Nabi ye ” by Hossein Sotoodeh has taken the world by storm. This viral media has cut across linguistic barriers to achieve cult status, reaching over 10 million views. The electrifying music and passionate rendition by the Iranian singer have resonated across the globe, particularly as the high-intensity military conflict involving Iran entered its second month in March 2026.

‘No merit’ in Chakraborty’s claims: Personal ethics talk sans details raises questions

By Jag Jivan  A recent opinion piece published in The Quint by Subhash Chandra Garg has raised questions over the circumstances surrounding the resignation of Atanu Chakraborty from HDFC Bank , with Garg stating that the exit “raises doubts about his own ‘ethics’.” Garg, currently Chief Policy Advisor at Subhanjali and former Secretary of the Department of Economic Affairs, Government of India, writes that the Reserve Bank of India ( RBI ) appears to find no substance in Chakraborty’s claims, noting, “It is clear the RBI sees no merit in Atanu Chakraborty’s wild and vague assertions.”

Study links sanctions to 500,000 deaths annually leading to rise in global backlash

By Bharat Dogra  International opinion is increasingly turning against the expanding burden of sanctions imposed on a growing number of countries. These measures are contributing to humanitarian crises, intensifying domestic discord, and heightening international tensions, thereby increasing the risks of conflicts and wars.