Bus strike: Karnataka agrees to 12.5% hike
FollowAs per a new report, the Karnataka government has agreed to raise the salaries of State Road Transport Corporation employees by 12.5%. Union leaders have reportedly agreed for this and the three-day agitation is likely to be called off.
The Karnataka government was contemplating alternative ways to provide transport services as the transport strike continued for the third day. The government planned to temporarily employ staff from the technical department to restart transport services.
According to sources, the government might slap Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) on the protesters if they failed to call off the strike by Wednesday night.
State transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy said, “The transport staff are linked to six associations but none of these organisations have elected office-bearers. Every association has promised 30% to 40 % hike in the salaries to its members just to look more powerful than the other and so they are pressurising the government to hike salaries.”
At a press conference held at the transport headquarters at Shantinagar in Bengaluru, the minister said, "The current problem can be solved only if the workers are willing to negotiate. I took over the transport portfolio when it was already drowned in losses. And at such a stage a demand for 30% revision in salaries can’t be met with. Employees should not make it a prestige issue and understand ground realities."
He added, “The workers know that their demands are not fair and neither are they happy to protest but the unions are forcing them to do so. We will wait till Wednesday and take an appropriate decision if they do not call off the strike.”
What do the rules say?
Reddy said that according to the Supreme Court ruling, "Those in probationary period cannot take part in any protest. Currently, out of the 1.25 lakh workers, 15,000 are on a probationary period in Karnataka. In addition, we have 13,000 staff on training and so in total 28,000 workers are expected to resume their work. With this strength of workers, we can run 30% of the buses."
He added, "If they decide to continue the strike, we can take a legal action against the workers and dismiss them. This law will compel them to join their duties."
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, in the cabinet meeting, had directed officers to solve the problem amicably and not invoke Esma.
"It is not possible to fulfil all the demands of the workers. The transport staff should welcome the decision taken by the government and resume work,” Siddaramaiah added.
