Transport employees likely to go on strike

Bengaluru: A total of six transport organizations, including the Joint Action Committee of Labour Unions of Karnataka State Road Transport Corporations, have prepared for a strike demanding various demands. Transport leader AnanthSubbarao has called the employees of four corporations including KSRTC, BMTC to prepare for a transport strike.

The state government has already been given a deadline till September 26. If the government does not fulfill the demands of the transport workers by the said date, they have warned that they will hold a meeting on September 27 and announce the strike date. AnanthSubbarao affirmed that the meeting would be held on Friday.

The demands of transport workers are the government has to pay Rs 4,562 crore to the transport corporations to clear the arrears and Rs 1,346 crore which is the balance of the Shakti Yojana.

Rs 998 crore towards suppliers and fuel arrears to be given by the government to corporations.

The money spent by the transport corporations every month towards the implementation of the Shakti Yojana should be paid in the first week of the next month. As per the recommendation of the special committees, an Expert Committee will be formed to determine the fare. In case the Government does not agree to this instruction, the Government shall bear all the expenses of the Transport Corporation.

Salary revision on 1 January 2024, payment of 38 months arrears from 1 January 2020, immediate payment to retired employees as per order dated 27 June 2024 and all other demands given by the Joint Action Committee on 25 January 2024 should be fulfilled.

There are a total of 23,978 buses in four corporations including KSRTC and BMTC, of which there are 1,04,450 employees. Already, the transport workers had gone on strike for 5 days from 10-14 December 2020 and 17 days from 7-21 April 2021 and had flayed the then BJP government for inaction. Now the transport workers are ready to strike again.

Responding to this, Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy said that he will solve the issue by discussing along with the transport leaders.