Employees warn government to fulfill demands as KSRTC, BMTC gear up for strike

Bengaluru: The Karnataka government has not released 38 months of arrears to employees of four corporations including KSRTC and BMTC. The employees were supposed to get a salary hike from January 2024, but even though November has come, the government has not yet taken a decision on this. Gratuity money has not been released to retired employees. A total of Rs 1750 crore is due in arrears. Gratuity money is about Rs 399.29 crore. In this context, transport employees are preparing for another transport strike.

A joint action committee of six transport employees’ organizations held a meeting at the CITU headquarters in Gandhinagar to pressure the government to fulfill their demands. Speaking on the occasion, transport leader Ananth Subbarao said that all that is needed is to ask the Chief Minister; Earlier, when you were the CM, we went on a three-day strike. Then you offered to fulfill our demands on the third day. Don’t bring that situation this time. Transport employees are already in the mood to strike, he said.

We have told the employees not to take the law into their own hands. Our strike will not be called off until our demands are met. This is very clear, the employees are ready for the strike. All we have to do now is announce the date of the strike. So far, we have not received any response from the government. The employees are already ready for the strike. They have warned the government that we will announce the date.

The presidents of the six organizations who participated in the meeting have also warned the government that they will call for a strike soon. Speaking on the occasion, transport leader HS Manjunath said, “The salary revision should be done from 1-1-24. We gave our demands in January. We have written dozens of letters. We have said that 38 months of arrears should be given. We also told them to fulfill our demands in last month’s meeting. Transport employees are not yet in a position to wait patiently. Of course, we, the 1.15 lakh thousand employees of the state, will inevitably go on strike one hundred percent. There is no doubt about this, he said.

In total, the transport employees have warned that the state government is not paying the 38 months of arrears and gratuity money to retired employees and will stop the operation of buses of four corporations including KSRTC and BMTC and will go on strike. They have warned that they will announce the date soon. But we have to wait and see what action the state government will take in this regard.