Kanataka RTC employees' strike enters fifth day, bus services continue to be hit

RTCs that have been warning employees about continuing with the strike, have started taking actions against trainee employees and are issuing notice for absence from work

April 11, 2021 12:38 pm | Updated 01:12 pm IST - Bengaluru

People were using their own vehicles or were seen using cabs, Metro and autorickshaws, especially in the city areas.

People were using their own vehicles or were seen using cabs, Metro and autorickshaws, especially in the city areas.

Bus services remained largely hit across Karnataka on April 11 too, as strike by employees of the Road Transport Corporations (RTCs) on wage related issues, entered its fifth day.

With a stalemate between the government and employees of the four transport corporations in the State, over their demand for wages as per the 6th Pay Commission continuing, majority workers did not turn up for work, resulting in buses remaining off road, affecting commuters.

Meanwhile, RTCs on Sunday morning managed to run 1400 buses. The numbers are  expected to go up and may touch 3,000 by the end of the day, sources said. The four RTCs put together have a fleet of over 23,000 buses.

The RTCs have announced that the request for inter-corporation transfer of those participating in the strike will not be considered and transfer orders of those who have already been transferred from one corporation to another and reported to duty, will be cancelled, unless they report to duty immediately.

Inter-corporation transfer has been one of the key demands of the striking RTC employees, one of the nine demands that the government has fulfilled. RTCs have also announced that they will pay the salaries for March tomorrow, to only those employees who have defied strike and have been working. To those on strike, RTCs will withhold March salary, a move that has earned widespread criticism from all unions which have termed it "unfair" not to be paid for the work done.

RTCs have also announced that all passes - student pass, monthly pass and other concessional passes - will be extended by as many days as the strike continues, after services resume.

Though the number of commuters waiting for buses at bus stands remained scarce, today being Sunday, those wanting to travel to their native for celebrating Ugadi on Tuesday are affected.

Private buses, mini buses, maxi cabs and other passenger transport vehicles, whom authorities have roped in to manage the crisis and help commuters, were seen providing services to passengers in different parts of the city and the State.

People were using their own vehicles or were seen using cabs, Metro and autorickshaws, especially in the city areas.

Metro has increased the frequency of its services between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m.

With inputs from PTI

 

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