THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The KSRTC will start implementing the 12-hour single duty from Saturday, even as the Congress- affiliated Transport Democratic Federation (TDF) decided to go ahead with the indefinite strike. The new duty pattern will be implemented at Parassala in Thiruvananthapuram on a pilot basis. The management decided against implementing it in eight units after trade unions pointed out anomalies in the schedule prepared.
The management held a second round of discussions with the three recognised trade unions affiliated to CITU, BMS and INTUC, on Thursday. TDF decided to go ahead with the strike to oppose the duty reform while Kerala State Road Transport Employees Association (CITU) and Kerala State Transport Employees Sangh (BMS) agreed with the management decision. BMS, however, said that they would still oppose the duty pattern. Earlier, recognised trade unions had agreed to the duty reform during the talks with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan after he had agreed to rectify the issues, if any, during the first six months of implementation.
However, TDF served the strike notice on September 15. Transport Minister Antony Raju and the management came out against the strike. They decided to issue ‘dies non’ on the strike days to make the attendance compulsory and also warned that the striking employees would not be given salary for the month of September. They also offered double the basic salary and dearness allowance proportionate to two hours of additional duty time. TDF’s working president and MLA M Vincent said the 12- hour single duty system is inhuman and anti-worker.