Karnataka transport employees call off their three-day strike

Bengaluru, Dec 13: Karnataka transport employees on Sunday called off their three-day strike after fruitful talks with state government.

Except the condition to consider KSRTC staff as govt employees, other demands such as rectifying salary differences, Rs 30 lakh ex-gratia to the employees, who died of COVID-19, action to avoid harassment from senior officials were promised to be fulfilled.

"During discussion today, agitating staff of KSRTC (Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation) agreed to end their protest, but later decided to continue it. It is not good if the workers allow someone else to make decisions for them," said Karnataka Transport Minister Laxman Savadi.

'We will give protection to workers who go back to work tomorrow. Those who would indulge in violence will be booked. We'll meet the CM tomorrow and decide what should be done," said Karnataka HM Basavaraj Bommai after meeting with protesting KSRTC employees.

Meanwhile, Karnataka CM BS Yediyurappa has appealed to KSRTC staff to call off their strike. A sincere effort was made to resolve problems of KSRTC staff in today's meeting convened by Deputy Chief Minister Lakshman Savadi and Home Minister Basavaraja Bommai.

Employees of the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation, Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation, North West Karnataka Road Transport Corporation and North Eastern Karnataka Road Transport Corporation have been on strike since Thursday demanding salaries on par with state government staff among others.

The protesters were demanding salaries equivalent to the state government employees and compensation similar to the COVID-19 warriors in the event of death due to coronavirus.

The state has been witnessing back-to-back protests for the past five days since December 8.

Earlier it was the farmers' agitation and now the transport employees' strike.