Tamil Nadu News Live Updates: 5% hike proposed for transport staff

They stitch table mats, sofa covers&other items. We've designed a unique guide near stitching area to protect from injury: M Rafiq, Head-Unorganized Sec Skill Development Training Prog Committee

Transport Minister SS Sivasankar has assured transport corporation employees that their pay will be increased by five percent.

The 14th wage revision talk between the transport department and workers' union was held at Chennai on Thursday. While unions sought an 8% pay hike, the government has offered to increase it by 2% for the period between September 2019 and December 2021 and another 3% from January 2022, according to an official release.

Apart from the pay hike, the unions demanded jobs for children of transport employees, who died in the last ten years, on compassionate grounds, and 300 special pay for those who worked during the pandemic. The government has agreed to both the requests, the release said.

A three-day biryani festival organised by Tirupattur district administration in Ambur was called off over a disagreement among political outfits on whether to permit a beef biryani stall. Sensing the simmering tension, the administration called off the fest, citing a rain forecast.

The Tamil Nadu commission for scheduled castes and scheduled tribe has sought an explanation from the collector for excluding the beef biryani stall at the festival. Tirupattur collector Amar Kushwaha was not available for comment. READ MORE

Of the 438 active cases, Chennai had 223 patients followed by 114 in Chengalpet and 19 in Coimbatore. Tiruvallur and Kancheepuram had 17 and 14 active patients respectively.

Nineteen districts had between one and seven active cases and 14 districts had no active cases.

Chengalpet followed with five new cases. Tiruvallur reported four new cases, while Coimbatore and Kancheepuram reported two new cases each. Four districts – Kanyakumari, Nilgiris, Salem and Tirunelveli -- reported one new case each. Twenty-nine of 38 districts reported zero new cases.

Fresh cases in Tamil Nadu marginally increased to 42 on Thursday, compared to 39 on Wednesday and 40 on Tuesday. The state discharged 43 patients from the registry, while 438 patients continue to be treated for the viral infection, either at home or in hospitals. There were no deaths due to viral infection.