THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Transport Minister Antony Raju met Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to discuss the financial crisis in KSRTC. The meeting came ahead of protest by trade unions against the delay in disbursing salary. The minister sought the intervention of the chief minister in finding a permanent solution to salary disbursal by the fifth of every month.
The KSRTC management could not pay the salary even after the deadline of May 10. While trade unions affiliated to the ruling LDF decided to stay away from strike, the Transport Democratic Federation (INTUC) decided to hold protests across the units on Thursday. Kerala State Transport Employees Sangh (BMS), another recognised trade union in KSRTC, decided to hold wider protests in the days to come. The management has issued strict orders against holding protests after the strike disrupted operations on Friday.
Raju took a stand that the responsibility for paying the salaries of employees lies with the management. The finance department approved only Rs 30 crore in May against the demand for Rs 65 crore. As the money will not be enough, the management has started looking for other options such as overdraft.