Transport corporations threaten govt with strike

The employees want to be considered as govt employees and their salaries to be fixed as per the 6th Pay Commission

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: All four state transport corporations have warned the state government to embark on an indefinite strike from March 1 if their longstanding demands are not fulfilled. They have said that over 1.07 lakh road transport employees will take part in the strike.

Earlier, when the employees had gone on strike during April 2021, the government had promised to consider them under the 6th Pay Commission. The employees were counting on the promise to be fulfilled in the year’s budget announcement.

However, the government did not do so. Employees of the four corporations — Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC), Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC), North Western Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (NWKRTC) and Kalyana Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KKSRTC) are set to participate in the strike.

The federations have demanded to restore the status of employees who were suspended for taking part in the 2021 protests, while simultaneously addressing the other issues plaguing the departments.

The employees want to be considered as government employees and their salaries to be fixed as per the 6th Pay Commission recommendations. Along with this, they want the government to drop all plans of privatising the corporation.