The bus drivers of private schools and colleges demanded an increase in wages, claiming what they were being paid now was meagre. The Kurnool District Private Schools and Colleges Workers’ Union, under the aegis of Centre for Indian Trade Unions (CITU), warned that they would stop services for the institutions that refuse to increase the pay from December 30 onwards.
Speaking with The Hindu , union president E. Pullareddy said that an average bus driver gets paid anywhere between ₹8,000 to ₹11,000 per month, depending on their seniority. For a cleaner, the salary hovers between ₹5,000 to ₹6,000 per month. “The salary of a driver must be raised by ₹1,000 per month and that of a cleaner must be raised by ₹600 per month,” the union demanded.
Mr. Pullareddy claimed that corporate schools have been showing very little concern about the plight of drivers, adding that the representatives from schools miss most of the meetings arranged with the drivers and owners.
However, Assistant Commissioner of Labour N. Seshagiri Rao has to say that most of the schools and colleges attended the meeting except for one corporate school. He added that the unions are working in tandem with schools to reach settlements.
The drivers also complained that they were not getting prope benefits from the schools. A driver said that the owners must give them Employee State Insurance (ESI) as well as Provident Fund (PF).
Mr. Pullareddy added that in case of an accident, drivers are being told to pay money out of their pocket. “Recently a driver had to pay ₹4,000 because a sheep ran under the bus. The driver cannot afford to pay so much amount,” he said.
