THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The trade unions in KSRTC have hardened their stand against Transport Minister Antony Raju after the corporation failed to pay salaries to all sections of the employees. CPI leader and general secretary of Kerala State Road Transport Employees’ Union (AITUC), K P Rajendran, came out against the minister and called him arrogant for denying salaries to the employees. He was speaking after inaugurating a hunger march organised by the AITUC to the official residence of the minister on Wednesday.
“The employees union and AITUC doubted the intention behind the formation of Swift as a separate company. Our stand has been vindicated after the service has started its operations in the city circle too. It is a ploy to promote Swift and leave KSRTC to die,” Rajendran said.
He demanded Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s intervention to make the government adopt the pension and salary burden of the KSRTC. Former transport minister and general secretary of Transport Democratic Federation (INTUC), V S Sivakumar, also made a similar demand. Speaking at a meeting organised by KSRTC Pensioners Organisation, he said that earning a pension is the right of retired employees.