BENGALURU: Family members of transport corporation employees, who are on an indefinite strike, hit the streets on Monday, beating plates and tumblers and asking the government to provide them food as they are hungry without salaries being paid to the staff. The Transport Department issued an ultimatum to the employees saying that they should report back to duty immediately after Ugagi on Tuesday and if not, the earlier government order of allowing inter-corporation transfers would be rolled back.
A KSRTC source said that such transfers are not allowed normally. But in 2012, the government made a one-time agreement to transfer employees. “The government later issued an order that annually, 2 per cent of employees could be considered for such transfers,” he said.
BMTC, meanwhile, ordered 2,237 employees to return to work by April 15, and issued retirement orders to those aged between 51 and 55 and are part of the protest. It also suspended 260 employees. By 6 pm on Monday, 1,588 KSRTC buses, 446 BMTC, 700 NEKSRTC and 495 NWKSRT buses started operations. Officials hoped that more buses will resume operation after Ugadi as many employees have gone to their hometowns to celebrate the festival.
Members of transport corporation unions met former CM HD Kumaraswamy on Monday morning, demanding his support to the protest. Four transport corporations started releasing the salaries of some of the employees who reported back to duty. An official release stated that 4,256 drivers and conductors of KSRTC, 960 of BMTC, 1,837 of NWKRTC and 3,377 of NEKRTC were paid. An official said, “The government is clear about no work, no pay. As employees return to work, their salaries will be released after deducting the number of days they were on strike.”
The agitators were not pleased. They said, “There should be uniformity in payments. If the government is continuing to be stern, we will also not bend.” They alleged that private bus and van drivers were driving KSRTC or NWKRTC buses near Chamarajanagar, putting lives of many at risk.