BENGALURU: The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of state road transport corporation employees’ unions, which had called for an indefinite strike from December 31, has decided to postpone the agitation.
This comes after Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy, who met Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday evening, stated that he has sought Rs 2,000 crore and the CM has agreed to release the fund.
The AITUC-affiliated KSRTC Staff and Workers’ Federation, with the support of five other transport unions, had called for the indefinite strike with various demands. One of the main demands was to settle the salary dues that have been pending for the past three years.
Federation president HV Ananta Subba Rao said they decided to postpone their strike after a written assurance from the minister that a meeting will be convened with the CM after the Sankranti festival to address their various demands.
Reddy, after the meeting the CM, told the media, “Transport unions have demanded that the government fulfil their 13 demands. I met the CM and apprised him about the demands. I also placed a request to release Rs 2,000 crore.”
Reddy blamed the previous BJP government for pushing the four bus corporations into financial distress.
“The BJP government left the bus corporations with a debt of Rs 5,900 crore and there were no recruitments and no new buses were added. After we came to power, however, we recruited 10,000 people and launched 4,300 buses,” he said.