Thousands of workers of the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation, Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation, North-Western Karnataka Road Transport Corporation and North-Eastern Karnataka Road Transport Corporation staged a demonstration here on Tuesday protesting against “anti-worker policies of managements as well as the government”.
The workers demanded an end to oppressive policies of the managements.
The demonstration was held under the banner of the Joint Committee of the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporations' Workers Unions. The leaders urged the government and managements to scrap the trainee driver/ conductor system describing it as slavery.
They said the earlier system of direct entry into probation should be re-introduced for this class of employees. The trainee system has given room for exploitation of the crew in the form of frequent extensions of training period beyond the stipulated period of two years.
Wages of the employees should be revised to match with that of government employees and fresh wage agreement should be entered into immediately, the committee demanded. Besides, overtime work without payment of sufficient allowance, extended working hours without adequate rest and such other anti-labour practices should be stopped, the committee said.
