The Kerala High Court on Wednesday directed the State government to release the required amount to the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) to pay salaries for the months of July and August along with the eligible bonus to all the employees below the managerial cadre on or before September 1.
Justice Devan Ramachandran, while passing the order on the petitions seeking payment of salary to KSRTC employees on time, observed that it would be “even unconscionable for the court to think that the low-paid employees of the KSRTC would have to remain hungry during the Onam season when the rest of the State was in a state of rejoicing after nearly two years of COVID-19 pandemic disruption.”
The court said that Onam was at our door step, but the employees of KSRTC still found no ray of hope, for not merely festival bonuses and other perquisites but even for their salaries for the last two months.
The court pointed out that ₹103 crore sought by the KSRTC for paying salaries for the months of July and August as well as bonus would have to be honoured by the State government, as they could recover the same through other methods, including the proceeding against the assets of the KSRTC in due course.
Special Government Pleader submitted that no consensus could be arrived at the meetings of the trade unions and other stakeholders which were attended by Labour Minister and Transport Minister on August 17, 18 and 22.
The KSRTC had made a request of ₹100 crore to disburse the salary for the months of July and August along with ₹3 crore for the bonus. The KSRTC had also asked for ₹250 crore as working capital as a one-time measure so as to make them self-reliant in future.
In fact, the government was looking into the matter, and it was likely that the government would take a positive approach to the request for the amount.
The KSRTC in its affidavit submitted that the government was reiterating that financial aid would be extended to the corporation only if it could implement the proposal of a single duty pattern as suggested by the committee on restructuring of the corporation. However, the unions were not agreeable to the proposal. The corporation was not in a position to pay salaries and meet all other expenses with the income generated from its sources.
