JKSRTC stir enters 21st day amid protest rally

Jammu, Sep 9 (UNI) The ongoing agitation of Jammu and Kashmir State Road Transport Corporation (JKSRTC) workers today entered its 21st day as they took out a protest rally here demanding immediate release of their five-month pending salaries.

Deprived of salaries for the last five months, the workers took out a protest rally as the government breached its agreement, which was signed between the leaders of the Workers Union on March 24, 2008 and the Government representatives including MD of the Corporation and the Transport Commissioner, the demonstrators alleged.

The agitators said it was agreed that regular salaries would be paid to the SRTC employees while pending 42 slabs of COLA should also be released, besides according hike in the wages of consolidated, contractual workers including drivers.

Meanwhile, amid anti-government slogans and holding placards, hundreds of workers of the Corporation took out a protest rally that started from the head office at Bikram Chowk. The rally covered main bazaars and the markets before culminating at its official complex.

However, the entire State Road Transport Corporation fleet has almost come to a grinding halt as the employees have suspended the operation within the state and also on the inter-state routes.

''The agitation will continue unless the government will not pay heed to our long pending demands and release our salaries'' a Union leader told UNI.

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