Metro strike imminent as second meeting fails

With two days remaining for Namma Metro staffers to go on strike, the second meeting of BMRCL management and employees in the presence of the labour commissioner failed to yield a solution.

Sources said the management of Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) put its foot down and submitted a detailed document to the labour commissioner, replying to each of the questions raised by the employees.

The management rejected the demand for recognition of the employees union by citing that the present union has members who are not employed by BMRCL. Further, it said that Metro employees cannot form a union as they are considered as public servants.

Noting that the demand for recognition of the union was pending before the Karnataka High Court, the source said the management cannot be forced to recognise a trade union.

"Unlike Maharashtra, which has enacted a law to recognise such unions, there is no provision under industrial disputes act or trade unions act," the source said.

BMRCL Employees Union vice president Suryanarayana Murthy said the management refused to give any word on recognising the union even after they agreed to the clause that only employees will be the members.

"The management has not given any word on increasing the salary of the employees. We have no option but to go on strike," Murthy said.

Meanwhile, a BMRCL official said they have taken up measures to ensure that a strike will not affect Metro operations.

"We have prepared an emergency team comprising 200 members of which 70 to 80 are train operators. They have been given training on entire Metro operations, from running train to managing the stations," the official added.