Karnataka Bus Strike! KSRTC Employees Meeting With CM Siddaramaiah Fails

The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) employees have decided to commence an indefinite strike starting at 6 am. This decision follows unsuccessful discussions with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. The strike is expected to disrupt bus services across Karnataka and beyond, affecting many commuters who rely on KSRTC and Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) for their daily travel needs.

On August 4, the Karnataka High Court instructed the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of KSRTC trade unions to delay their planned indefinite strike by a day. The JAC, led by the AITUC-affiliated KSRTC Staff and Workers' Federation, has yet to respond to this directive from the court.

Demands and Negotiations

The JAC had initially called for the strike from August 5 due to unmet demands. These include a 25% salary increase effective January 1, 2024, settlement of unpaid wages for 38 months (from January 1, 2020, to February 28, 2023), and a four-year wage revision plan from January 1, 2024, to December 31, 2027.

A high-level meeting was held on Monday at Vidhana Soudha. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah met with Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy, Federation President HV Anantha Subbarao, and JAC representatives. Despite nearly three hours of discussions, no agreement was reached.

Government's Response

Anantha Subbarao addressed the media post-meeting. He stated that the strike would proceed as planned since Chief Minister Siddaramaiah did not commit to the proposed wage increase from January 1, 2024. "Chief Minister Siddaramaiah remained non-committal on the 25 per cent wage hike revision from January 1, 2024. As against the clearance of 38 months' salary arrears, CM has agreed to pay only 14 months. Stalemate continued, and we are going ahead with the protest," he said.

When questioned about potential government actions like operating private buses during the strike, Subbarao remarked that they could do as they please. "Let them (government) operate private buses or tempos to transport people. Our RTC employees will stay at home and not report to work," he asserted.

Legal Implications

Subbarao also commented on past government actions under ESMA (Essential Services Maintenance Act). He noted that despite previous threats during a similar strike in 2020, employees remain undeterred. "We have served strike notice. Our employees will not budge to the threat of the government. Any victimisation of the transport employees will not be tolerated, and we will fight it out," he declared.

The JAC representatives expressed dissatisfaction with Siddaramaiah's stance. They criticised him for not fulfilling promises made to transport workers who contributed significantly to implementing the Shakti scheme—one of five guarantee schemes by Congress-led state government.