Transport unions in Tamil Nadu have demanded that Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami hold talks with them to resolve the ongoing strike. The transport strike in the state entered its seventh day on Wednesday.

Transport unions have said their protest will continue till the state government agrees to their demands – to raise wages and pay pending dues. Workers have asked for their salaries to be on par with those of the drivers in other government corporations. They want a 2.57-times increase in their pay, but the government wants to raise them by only 2.44 times.

On Tuesday, transport workers on strike in Chennai and other parts of Tamil Nadu brought their children and family along to protest.

State Transport Minister MR Vijayabhaskar said the government has issued notices to about 60,000 workers, seeking an explanation within seven days for their absence from work, according to The New Indian Express.

Over the past week, the Tamil Nadu government has been recruiting temporary drivers and conductors with valid licences to operate government buses. But these temporary drivers have been involved in several accidents across the state, and the number of deaths during the strike rose to six on Tuesday, The Times of India reported.

On Monday, the Madras High Court had refused to vacate an earlier interim order and directed employees of the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation to call off their strike. The court also directed the state government to address the grievances of the employees and pay them their dues immediately. It told the state to not terminate the services of any worker without its permission.