Karnataka transport employees to go on indefinite strike from March 24: Report

State transport employees call for wage revision, increase in allowances, reinstatement of employees sacked during the April 2021 transport strike, among other demands.

Published on: Mar 9, 2023, 15:17:39 IST

By Yamini C S

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State transport employees in Karnataka are set to go on an indefinite strike from March 24 in a bid to increase their wages, get more allowances, and a number of other demands. This could cause hindrance to lakhs of commuters on the daily, especially with the II PU (Pre-University) exams underway, a report said.

Government employees had held a 15-day transport strike demanding wage revision in April 2021. (PTI)

READ | KSRTC staff to hold protest over salary

This move also comes barely two months before the crucial upcoming assembly elections in the southern state. Government employees had held a 15-day transport strike demanding wage revision in April 2021, which had cost the government in millions of rupees and resulted in authorities firing more than 4000 workers across the four state-run transport corporations involved in the strike.

A conglomeration of four registered transport unions of KSRTC, BMTC, NWKRTC and KKRTC, called the 'Sarige Nigmagala Noukarara Samana Manaskara Vedike' gave the strike notice to the state labour commissioner on Wednesday.

The report quoted the union leader as saying, “We have decided to call for an indefinite strike from March 24 until our demands are met.”

READ | Bengaluru transport body to issue reappointment orders to staff sacked for 2021 strike

Transport department employees demand salary revision, increase in allowances, medical facilities, reinstatement of employees sacked after the April 2021 strike, implementation of shift system, stopping contract recruitment and filling vacancies, the report said.

However, officials from the Road Transport Corporation told the publication they had issued an order in December under the Karnataka Essential Services Management Act, 2013 barring strikes for six months, i.e., from January to June 2023.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yamini C S
Yamini CS is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with nearly six years of experience in digital journalism. She is part of the India News desk, where she works on a wide range of stories cutting across civic issues, city-based developments, politics, governance, public policy, breaking news, trending topics, and international affairs that have an impact on India. Her role involves tracking fast-moving developments, verifying information from official and on-ground sources, and presenting news in a clear, accessible format for a digital-first audience. A significant part of her work includes handling live blogs during major news events, such as elections, court verdicts, political developments, civic disruptions, protests, weather-related alerts, and unfolding national or international incidents. Through live coverage, she focuses on timely updates to help readers follow complex stories as they evolve. Before moving to the broader India News desk, Yamini was associated with the Bengaluru desk at Hindustan Times, where she extensively covered urban governance, infrastructure, traffic and transport issues, weather events, public grievances, and civic administration in the city. This experience strengthened her grounding in city reporting and sharpened her focus on citizen-centric journalism. She began her career as a correspondent with Reuters after completing a postgraduate diploma in journalism from the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media. Her early training instilled a strong emphasis on accuracy, sourcing, and news ethics, which continue to shape her reporting style. Outside of work, Yamini enjoys reading across genres, listening to music, and spending time with her family, which help her maintain balance in a fast-paced newsroom environment.Read More

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