BENGALURU: So what exactly provoked Bengaluru’s metro workers to go on a flash strike this morning?
It was the judicial remand of two fellow employees, Rakesh and Harish, on Thursday evening that prompted Metro loco pilots, station controllers and operations and maintenance (O&M) staff to get together and discuss their response at the Baiyappanahalli Metro station. In the wee hours of Friday, it was decided by the Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation (BMRCL) Employees Union to stop operations.
Passions were inflamed among Bengaluru Metro employees after six of their colleagues were arrested for thrashing three Karnataka State Industrial Security Force (KSISF) personnel at the Sir M Visvesvaraya Central College station on Thursday morning. The assault, which was captured on CCTV, occurred around 9.40 am when Rakesh and four of his colleagues attacked Anand Guddad, Lakshman and a woman security officer, Bharathi.
Earlier in the morning, Rakesh had stopped security man Guddad at the turnstiles and asked him to have his bag scanned. Guddad said he was a posted to security duties and therefore would not submit to a check himself. An angry Rakesh returned at around 9.40 am, along with four of his colleagues and assaulted Guddad and two others who came to his rescue.
Police detained the BMRCL staff and took them to the Halsuru Gate police station. Based on Anand’s complaint, a case was of rioting and assault was registered.
When the BMRCL staff decided to launch a wildcat strike this morning, top Metro officials, police, local MLA A Harris and leaders of AITUC (to which the the BMRCL Employees Union is affiliated) were involved in talks to let operations to contintue.
However, the Metro staff remained adamant, and ACP Hemant Nimbalkar threatened to invoke ESMA. The employees finally relented after four hours and services resumed at about 11.30.