The conference of the KSRTC Staff and Workers’ Federation held here on Saturday discussed wage revision due to them since January 1, 2016 and urged the management to expedite the process.
The conference was held in the backdrop of the perceived delay in revision of wages to the employees, who have sought a 35 per cent hike. Though the federation had submitted a 41-point charter to the management for inclusion in wage revision, they are yet to hear from them. Tanvir Sait, MLA, addressed the workers. He regretted the increase in atrocities against workers in recent years and attributed it to the dilution of labour law, which was biased against the workers. He promised to raise the issue of wage on the floor of the Assembly or with the government.
General secretary of the federation Ananthsubba Rao said there was restlessness among workers due to an inordinate delay in wage revision. “A trainee in KSRTC — there are about 20,000 in the organisation — gets Rs. 10,000 a month without any allowance and is on the same scale for 2 to 3 years and this is pittance in the present times,” he said.
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The federation has also raised the issue of floating a medical scheme on the lines of ESI for the workers and their family members. “The existing medical scheme for KSRTC workers is useless,” said Mr. Rao.
The conference also took note of “victimisation” of the workers and wanted an end to the practice of disproportionate penalisation for offences.
Nearly 1,200 workers from across the State participated.
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