<p>Bengaluru: The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of Trade Unions of Karnataka State Road Transport Corporations has called for an indefinite statewide strike starting May 20.</p><p>The strike, which is expected to ground buses from KSRTC, BMTC, NWKRTC, and KKRTC starting at 6 am, follows the failure of recent talks between union leaders and Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy.</p>.Karnataka HC disposes plea as unions submit resolution on ending bus strike.<p><strong>Deadlock over pay revision</strong></p><p>Addressing a press conference on Saturday, Jyothi Ananthasubba Rao, President of the KSRTC Staff and Workers Federation, announced the protest. She stated that the unions had demanded a 25 per cent salary hike effective from January 2024.</p><p>"We requested the Minister to implement a pay revision within a fixed time frame. However, the government offered only a 7 per cent increase, to be implemented from April 1, 2025. This is unacceptable to the workforce," Rao said.</p><p>Union leaders warned that the state government would be solely responsible for any inconvenience caused to the general public. "We have petitioned the government multiple times to no avail. If the public suffers, the responsibility lies with the administration's apathy, not the employees," the JAC members stated.</p><p>The press conference was attended by prominent union leaders, including D A Vijay Bhaskar (General Secretary, KSRTC Staff and Workers Federation), B Jayadevaraje Urs (General Secretary, Akhila Karnataka State Road Transport Employees' Federation), and H D Revappa, among others.</p>.Serial offenders may lose driving licences: Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari.<p><strong>Key demands of the unions</strong></p><p><strong>Wage arrears:</strong> Payment of Rs 1,272 crore in pending arrears covering a 26-month period in a single installment.</p><p><strong>Allowance hikes:</strong> An immediate increase in daily allowances and other employee benefits.</p><p><strong>Covid relief:</strong> Disbursement of promised compensation to the families of employees who lost their lives during the Covid-19 pandemic.</p><p><strong>Policy disputes:</strong> Resolution of 'Form-4' and other administrative issues through discussions with the JAC within a one-month deadline.</p>
<p>Bengaluru: The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of Trade Unions of Karnataka State Road Transport Corporations has called for an indefinite statewide strike starting May 20.</p><p>The strike, which is expected to ground buses from KSRTC, BMTC, NWKRTC, and KKRTC starting at 6 am, follows the failure of recent talks between union leaders and Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy.</p>.Karnataka HC disposes plea as unions submit resolution on ending bus strike.<p><strong>Deadlock over pay revision</strong></p><p>Addressing a press conference on Saturday, Jyothi Ananthasubba Rao, President of the KSRTC Staff and Workers Federation, announced the protest. She stated that the unions had demanded a 25 per cent salary hike effective from January 2024.</p><p>"We requested the Minister to implement a pay revision within a fixed time frame. However, the government offered only a 7 per cent increase, to be implemented from April 1, 2025. This is unacceptable to the workforce," Rao said.</p><p>Union leaders warned that the state government would be solely responsible for any inconvenience caused to the general public. "We have petitioned the government multiple times to no avail. If the public suffers, the responsibility lies with the administration's apathy, not the employees," the JAC members stated.</p><p>The press conference was attended by prominent union leaders, including D A Vijay Bhaskar (General Secretary, KSRTC Staff and Workers Federation), B Jayadevaraje Urs (General Secretary, Akhila Karnataka State Road Transport Employees' Federation), and H D Revappa, among others.</p>.Serial offenders may lose driving licences: Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari.<p><strong>Key demands of the unions</strong></p><p><strong>Wage arrears:</strong> Payment of Rs 1,272 crore in pending arrears covering a 26-month period in a single installment.</p><p><strong>Allowance hikes:</strong> An immediate increase in daily allowances and other employee benefits.</p><p><strong>Covid relief:</strong> Disbursement of promised compensation to the families of employees who lost their lives during the Covid-19 pandemic.</p><p><strong>Policy disputes:</strong> Resolution of 'Form-4' and other administrative issues through discussions with the JAC within a one-month deadline.</p>
