Difficult times are ahead as KSRTC employees’ unions are planning to go on another indefinite strike during Deepavali.
Karnataka Rajya Rasthe Sarige Samsthegala Noukarara Federation has announced that an indefinite strike would be called from November 9 against the state government for not considering their demands.
The union wants the government to hold a meeting with the joint committee of KSRTC employees’ union to discuss their demands.
“After we went on a two-day strike last month, Deputy Chief Minister and Transport Minister R. Ashok held a round of discussion and assured us that our demands would be met.
But nothing has happened so far. KSRTC employees are facing a lot of issues for a long time and they have to be resolved by the government.
The department has been functioning irrationally and one of the most egregious rules is that an employee has to pay Rs 100 to take a day’s off.
This is not justified,” said Federation president S. Prasannakumar. “Also, a conductor has to bear the cost of a ticket if a passenger loses ticket,” he said.
He alleged the transfer system adopted by KSRTC is unscientific. Before the last month’s strike, the union had pressed the government to have separate pay scales for the staff and workers with effect from April 2012.
But Mr Ashok did not agree, saying that it would cost an additional Rs 164 crore, and that the government did not have money.
But after the two-day strike, the government agreed to consider their demand. Employees’ salaries were revised four years ago and since then the prices have gone up by 60 percent, but the salary has been hiked by 10 percent, he said.
“We will go on strike from November 9 if the government doesn't call for a meeting soon,” he said.