K'taka transport strike: talks fail, indefinite stir to continue

Government did not accept KSRTC employees' demand to increase salary from 10% to 30%

Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation employees today decided to continue their indefinite strike after failure of talks with the government to resolve the impasse over salary hike.

"We have decided to continue the stir as government has not accepted our demand to increase salary from 10% to 30%," K S Sharma, representative of KSRTC and Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation employees said.

Speaking to reporters after talks with Principal Secretary (Transport) P Ravi Kumar and other officials late last night, he alleged government had gone back on its promise to solve the deadlock over the hike by citing "unwanted reasons".

HV Anantha Subba Rao, spokesperson for Joint Committee of five Unions representing representing KSRTC and BMTC workers, said government refused to accede to their main demand of 30% increase in salary, saying the state is reeling under drought and the Centre had increased diesel price.

He said Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar and Transport Minister R Ashoka should have attended the meeting if they had concern for people, who are facing problems without transport.

Rao also said the employees were ready to face anything, including imposition of ESMA by government.

However, Ravi Kumar said the employees demand cannot be considered due to the Rs five hike in diesel price, which would lead to about Rs 264 crore increase in expenditure.

"The state is also going through extreme drought," he said.

He said government would not be in a position to approve tariff hike for transport corporations to meet increased expenditure as it would be a burden on people at this time of crisis.

Employees of KSRTC and BMTC had started the indefinite strike yesterday, protesting against the managements "unilaterally" taking a decision on wage revision.