Transport employees seek salaries for lockdown period

Honorary president of NWKRTC Employees Federation P.H. Neeralakeri has urged the State government to immediately release the salaries of employees of North West Karnataka (NWKRTC) and North East Karna

Honorary president of NWKRTC Employees Federation P.H. Neeralakeri has urged the State government to immediately release the salaries of employees of North West Karnataka (NWKRTC) and North East Karnataka (NEKRTC) Road Transport Corporations for the month of May and the lockdown period. Addressing presspersons in Dharwad on Thursday, Mr. Neeralakeri said that both the transport corporations should discharge their responsibilities properly and arrange to pay their salary dues. “The strike was held from April 7 to 22 and subsequently, following a direction from the High Court of Karnataka, the transport strike was withdrawn and the employees returned to work. However, when workers went to report to duty, they were asked to produce COVID-19 test results and also get their vaccination done, which took two or three days for the workers to comply with. As there was Janata Curfew on April 24 and 25, the workers went to report to duty on April 26, when the officials did not allow them to join duty and sent them back. And, on April 27, the State government announced a State-wide lockdown. Despite all these developments, the central offices of these corporations have issued circulars stating that only 20% to 30% employees were working and the remaining will be treated as absent,” he said.