Transport employees to launch strike if Karnataka government fails to meet pending demands

Their demands include implementing recommendations of Sixth Pay Commission, salary revision, medical facilities and reappointment of suspended employees

KSRTC Staff and Workers Federation has resolved to launch agitation if their pending demands including implementing recommendations of the Sixth Pay Commission, salary revision, medical facilities and reappointment of suspended employees and others are not met by the State government.

Resolutions in this regard were unanimously approved in the Seventh State Level Convention of KSRTC Staff and Workers Federation that concluded in Hubballi on Saturday.

Addressing presspersons after the concluding ceremony, President of the Federation H.V. Anantha Subba Rao said even after 30 months of retirement, the employees of KSRTC and other transport corporations had not been given the gratuity amount. The compensation promised for the families of employees who lost their lives fighting as COVID warriors had not been released in many cases, too.

Mr. Rao said there was a need for increasing bus services to rural areas and demanded an immediate release of ₹2,000 crore towards concession for students’ bus passes. The Federation would also urge the government to fill up vacant posts in the four transport corporations, he said.

“The Federation will strongly oppose any move to allot 41 bus routes of NWKRTC and KKERTC to Bendre Transport Service. If our demands are not met, we will be forced to resort to strike,” he warned.

Mr. Rao alleged the delay in recruitment for vacant posts was because the State government wanted to privatise KSRTC. Consequently, because of the shortage of hands, the existing employees were forced to work under pressure.

General Secretary of the Federation Vijay Bhaskar said thousands of employees from the 41 divisions of four transport corporations voluntarily participated in the conference, putting up a show of unity.