Bus services across Karnataka is likely to be disrupted on September 2 as staff members from transport utilities KSRTC and BMTC will be taking part in a nationwide strike called by Central Trade Unions.
The employees will protest against the Road Transport and Safety Bill, 2015, which seeks to curb the powers of state road transport corporations. However, officials are hopeful that they will be able to convince the unions to call off the strike.
In an announcement on Thursday, General Secretary of the KSRTC Staff and Workers Federation HV Ananthasubba Rao said that as part of the national strike, large number of transport corporation workers besides, workers from manufacturing and non-manufacturing units, insurance companies, beedi workers, Anganwadi workers, Mid-day meal employees will gather at the Town Hall at 11 a.m. on that day to protest against the Bill.
Some of the 13 demands of the Federation include, control price rise, minimum wage of Rs. 15,000 per month, no violation of Labour Laws, no contract labour and outsourcing, pension for all and withdrawal of Land Acquisition Bill.
Speaking to The Hindu, Managing Director of KSRTC, Rajender Kumar Kataria said, “We have issued an appeal today in the form of a letter from my office asking our staff members not to go on strike. This is an issue that the government is pursuing actively and we are on their side in opposing the bill. We will have more talks and will try to convince them to protest without striking work so that the public will not suffer. We are hopeful.”
Earlier this year, a 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. strike was called on April 30 in which auto unions also participated besides staff of BMTC and KSRTC. 25 buses of BMTC and eight buses of KSRTC were stoned and KSRTC saw losses of around Rs. five crore in a day from cancellation of 1,000-1,500 tickets.