‘Strike will not be withdrawn even if ESMA is enforced’

Transport staff are seeking a 35-p.c. hike in salaries against an unilateral 8-p.c. hike

Various trade union leaders under the banner of Joint Committee of Trade Unions of Karnataka State Transport Corporations on Sunday urged workers and employees of the corporations to make the proposed July 25 strike in protest against a meagre hike of 8 per cent in their salary a success.

Addressing KSRTC workers here, KSRTC Staff and Workers Federation general secretary H.V. Ananthasubba Rao said that the workers would not step back even if the Essential Services Maintenance Act is enforced. He said that the unilateral decision taken by the government last month to increase the wages by 8 per cent was not acceptable to the employees.

Though the federation and other unions had urged the managements of the four transport corporations to enter into a wage settlement agreement, the managements ignored it and opted for an unilateral announcement, he regretted. Mr. Rao said that the hike came at a time when the Union government had announced a 23.5-per cent hike for its employees, taking the minimum basic salary from Rs. 7,000 to Rs. 18,000. Still they are unhappy and are protesting against that revision, he pointed out.

The committee, comprising KSRTC Staff & Workers Federation, Akhila Karnataka Rajya Raste Saarige Noukararana Mahamandali, KSRTC SC/ST Officers and Employees Welfare Association and Akhanda Karnataka Rajya Raste Sarige Noukarara Mahamandali, said that it served a strike notice to the government on July 3.

Charter of demands

A charter of 44 demands was submitted to the government, including the demand for a 35 per cent wage hike, it said. However, ignoring the demand by the trade unions not to declare unilateral wage revision and the call for a strike in such an event, the managements have got the government to declare the unilateral revision.

The other demands included complete reimbursement of medical expenses to employees, including dependant parents; complete overtime allowance payment for extra hours of work by drivers and conductors; stopping wage cut harassment to mechanics, drivers and conductors for not achieving the targets; halt to indiscriminate suspension of employees; halt to corrupt practices in the corporations; stopping filing of false cases against conductors and a halt to harassment of women workers.

The committee sought nothing less than a negotiated settlement of wages and other demands and would continue its agitation, it said said.

Mahamandali president K.S. Sharma and other leaders addressed the meeting.