Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Jul 23: Discussions held by chief minister, Siddaramaiah, on Friday July 22 with represesentatives of trade unions of Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation failed to convince the employees to withdraw their strike call which will be affective from Sunday midnight.

During discussions, Siddaramaiah put forth the offer of giving a pay hike of ten percent in place of eight percent offered earlier, but the employees stuck to their demand for 35 percent hike. The chief minister, who was busy with programmes at Mysuru, left the meeting halfway as discussions remained inconclusive. Transport minister, Ramalinga Reddy, continued with the meeting but failed to make headway. Reddy said later that all the transport corporations except BMTC are running under loss and hence the government has to work within its limitations. He reminded that in 2012 too, the hike offered was ten percent. Noting that the current hike itself creates a burden of Rs 1.414 crore on the corporations, he asked the employees not to strike work, promising to hold discussions with chief minister in the matter again.

Discussions held by trade union leaders of Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) with transport minister, Ramalinga Reddy, about revision of wages and other demands had failed to reach an understanding. Another round of talks was thereafter, planned to be held with chief minister, Siddaramaiah, on Friday July 22.

The unions of Bangalore Metro Transport Corporation (BMTC), KSRTC, Northwest KSRTC, and Northeast KSRTC have been resentful of the fact that about 1.25 lac employees working for these entities have been given only eight percent wage hike. At the meeting held on Thursday, Ramalinga Reddy had told the union leaders that the chief minister will take a decision about pay hike. He also had sought 20 days time for considering other demands like transfer of employees within the individual organizations, relief from harassment of drivers and conductors, scrapping the practice of recovering damages from drivers in case of accidents, payment of overtime to employees working more than office hours, coverage of parents in health insurance facility of employees, stoppage of levying penalty on employees etc.

Chief secretary of KSRTC Staffers and Workers Federation, Ananthasubbarao, said that demands of unions for these facilities are pending since 2012. He said that the employees will go ahead with strike call even if pay hike is sanctioned, because of other pending demands since the last four years. He said that the government should stop giving assurances and enter into agreement with unions about pay hike.

The meeting with minister was also attended by BMTC managing director, Ekroop Kaur, KSRTC managing director, Rajendar Kumar Katharia, officials o labour department, and leader of four unions.

Ananthasubbarao declared on Friday that the employees will begin their strike from Sunday midnight. He requested the general public to cooperate.

KSRTC has 23,000 buses with 1.25 lac employees and it carries more than 1.5 crore passengers everyday.