BENGALURU: As the state transport corporation employees strike entered the fourth day on Sunday, it was a day of high drama, swinging from almost reaching an agreement to end the agitation to further intensifying the strike.
Deputy Chief Minister and Transport Minister Laxman Savadi, Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai and Revenue Minister R Ashoka held a series of meetings with employee’s union representatives and agreed to consider most of their demands, except that of granting them the status on par with state government employees.
After the meetings with the ministers, employee’s union representative Chandru said they were satisfied with the discussions as the government had agreed to consider most of their demands. Bus services resumed in some places after ministers and employee’s union representatives jointly spoke to the media at Vidhana Soudha in the evening and expressed satisfaction with the talks.
However, in a major twist late in the evening, after holding discussions with other leaders of the union at Freedom Park (the protest venue), Chandru announced that talks had been incomplete and there is a need for further discussion. Farmers’ association leader Kodihalli Chandrashekar, who is spearheading the protest, said the strike will continue even on Monday.
Private bus operators’ associations, too, extended support to employees of transport corporations and buses are likely to remain off the road on Monday. Shocked by the sudden change in stance by the employees’ union representatives, the government hit out at Chandrashekar and accused him of blackmailing and misleading the employees.
Farmer leader shouldn’t mislead transport employees: Yediyurappa
CM B S Yediyurappa said that a sincere effort was made to resolve the problems of transport corporation employees during meetings. “Except the demand to consider KSRTC staff as government employees, other demands, such as rectifying salary differences, Rs 30 lakh ex-gratia to the employees who died of Covid and action to avoid harassment from senior officials, were promised to be fulfilled,” he said.
“Though the employees association leaders agreed to this in the meeting and said they would announce it at Freedom Park, they are now creating unnecessary confusion by joining hands with Kodihalli Chandrashekhar,” he added The CM said it is inappropriate for Chandrashekhar to mislead the employees and his mala fide intentions are condemnable. He expressed concern over inconvenience caused to the public, besides the problems caused to KSRTC and its staff.
Bommai said they held meetings from 10 am till late evening and had considered most of employees’ demands. “Bus services have resumed and we will provide protection to employees who restart work and take stern action against those who try to obstruct the services,” he said. He, too, accused Chandrashekar of employing blackmail strategies. The demand for according status at par with state government employees remains to be a bone of contention between the striking transport corporations’ workers and the state government.
Kodihalli Chandrashekar, who rubbished the government’s allegations against him, said that without the government considering that demand, the issue will not be resolved as there is a big disparity between the salaries of transport corporation employees and the state government employees. The government, however, clarified that it cannot consider the demand. “There are around 40 corporations in the state and we cannot consider such a demand as others too will seek the same,” said Savadi.
“We are surprised by the change in their stance. We will hold discussions with the CM and decide on the next course,” he added. There seem to some difference among the protesting employees. Late on Sunday night, the KSRTC Staff and Workers Federation issued a statement, saying some members of the federation decided to continue the strike even after government agreed to consider most of their demands. Federation General Secretary Vijay Bhaskar asked its members to report to work. Revenue Minister R Ashoka said there seem to be some differences among employees’ unions.