Bengaluru Chalo Protest: KSRTC Staff Reject Government Offer, Demand Hike by March 2

KSRTC staff stage Bengaluru Chalo protest, rejecting government offer over 38-month salary hike delay. Employees demand full wage revision by 2 March, warning of division-wise strikes if demands are not met.

Transport employees in Bengaluru staged a significant “Bengaluru Chalo” protest on Thursday, rejecting the state government’s order to pay 26 months of wage hike arrears and implement a new wage hike effective from 1 April 2025. The employees demanded full settlement of 38 months of arrears and a wage revision starting 1 January 2024. They warned that if their demands were not met by 2 March, they would escalate the agitation through division-wise protests and strikes. The protest was led by the KSRTC organisations’ Joint Action Committee and took place at Freedom Park.

Protest Demands and Government Deadline

The protesting employees made it clear that they would not accept the government’s order of 26 months of arrears and a wage hike from 1 April 2025. They submitted a memorandum to KSRTC Managing Director Akram Pasha, giving a deadline of 2 March for their demands to be fulfilled. While the protest was temporarily suspended to allow for negotiations, employees warned that division-wise protests and a strike would follow if their demands remained unmet.

Employees Oppose MD’s Assurance

Following instructions from Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy, KSRTC Managing Director Akram Pasha attended the protest and explained the government’s order. He also announced that a meeting would be scheduled with transport union leaders regarding the wage hike effective from 1 April 2025. However, the employees rejected his assurance, insisting that they would not accept 26 months of arrears under any circumstances and reiterated their demand for a wage hike from 1 January 2024. Akram Pasha accepted the memorandum and promised to present their demands to the Transport Minister, with further updates expected after the forthcoming meeting.

Frustration Over Leaders’ Decisions

Despite the protest, many employees expressed anger towards the leaders of the Joint Action Committee, arguing that previous protests have only served as warnings without compelling the government to act. The leaders pacified the employees by highlighting the risks of sudden harsh protests, citing the 2021 employee dismissals, and recommended temporarily suspending the agitation until 2 March.

Mention of Anantha Subbarao Sparks Anger

During the protest, Managing Director Akram Pasha referenced prior discussions with Anantha Subbarao, which drew an angry reaction from employees. 

They demanded respect for the late leader, stating, “Our leader has passed away. Do not disrespect him by mentioning his name here.”

Bus Services Remain Unaffected

Despite the protest, bus operations across the state continued uninterrupted. Additional bus services were provided from Ramanagara, Kolar, Chikkaballapur, Mandya, Mysuru, and Chamarajanagar districts due to the Male Mahadeshwara Hills and Avani fairs. On Thursday, 6,302 trips were operated against the scheduled 6,296, with only 23 trips suspended due to vehicle breakdowns.

Minister Blames Previous BJP Government

Responding to the protest, Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy attributed the wage arrears issue to the previous BJP government. He noted that although wages were revised under their administration, adequate funds were not allocated. The BJP left behind a Rs 4,000 crore loan for the transport corporations and did not conduct new recruitments. He added that under his tenure, steps have been taken to repay the loan, restart recruitment, and purchase new buses.

Temporary Suspension of Protest

Vijay Bhaskar, General Secretary of the KSRTC Staff and Workers Federation, stated, “As soon as the government learned we would protest demanding a wage hike and arrears, it partially met our demands. The Transport Minister has also informed us that we will be called for a meeting. Therefore, we are temporarily suspending our protest. If we are not called for talks and our demands are not met by 2 March, the next phase of the protest will be launched.”