BENGALURU: Following a strike called by transportation employees to demand that they be considered government employees, state bus services across the state were affected on Friday.
More than 1.2 lakh of workers are employed with KSRTC, BMTC, NEKRTC and NWKRTC. The sources said that the services of all bus corporations were affected after most transportation employees, including drivers and drivers, refused to report for service on Friday morning. State bus corporations are now compiling the details of the canceled schedules due to the protests.
Farmers protesting the new farm laws also supported the transportation staff. The main demands of the employees are that they be included in the government payroll, as long as the same privileges / incentives as the government employees and compensation of 30 lakh rupees are paid to transport workers who died during Covid service .
On Thursday, they held a mass demonstration from the KSR Bengaluru City train station to Freedom Park. Later, they marched towards Vidhana Soudha via Raj Bhavan Road. Hundreds of them were arrested when they tried to besiege the Soudha. The protest was held under the banner of the Federation of Joint Associations of State Road Transport Employees and is expected to hold a rally near the city’s train station on Friday.
Thursday’s protest followed complaints from transportation companies delaying and reducing their wages citing the pandemic-induced drop in passenger income. There are several complaints from retired employees who do not receive tips on time and from corporations that do not pay a premium to LIC and the Employee Provident Fund Organization.
Last month, the children of many employees in video messages on social media asked Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa to pay their salaries in order to celebrate Diwali. After this, the employees received their October salary at the end of November. The entire Indian Trade Union Congress does not support the demand for transport personnel to be employed by the government.
Sources say BJP is looking into the lawsuit, as including the transportation corporation’s employees on its payroll is likely to help its vote bank grow. However, you are concerned about similar demands from ASHA workers, guest speakers, and others.
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