BENGALURU: Transport services in the city and across the state will be affected tomorrow as the employees of both Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) and Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) have decided to join a nationwide strike.
The employees are protesting against the Road Transport and Safety Bill, 2015. The strike has been called by the central trade unions, who say the bill is against the interest of workers and will weaken the state road transport corporations.
H V Ananthasubba Rao, general secretary of KSRTC Staff and Workers’ Federation, said that besides the transport corporation workers, those from manufacturing and non-manufacturing units, Indian Railway Employees Federation, beedi industries and other worker associations will join the strike.
C T Lokesh, president of an auto drivers’ association said, “The autos will also not ply on the road as we will go on strike from 6 am to 6 pm on September 2 to protest against the bill.”
KSRTC sources said the daily operation cost of the transport corporation is around `8 crore. The strike will dig a big hole in the pockets of both BMTC and KSRTC, though the losses incurred will be a little less than the operational cost as the cost of diesel is saved.
KSRTC managing director Rajendra Kumar Kataria had earlier appealed to the union members not to go on strike as the state government was looking into their grievances. However, the unions have ignored the appeal and decided to go on strike.