Karnataka: KSRTC Staff Strike Over Non-Payment Of Salary; CM BS Yediyurappa Appeals To Call Off Protest

A majority of state-run transport buses including KSRTC, BMTC, NEKRTC and NWKRTC stayed off the roads on December 14 as transport employees across the state decided to continue their indefinite strike on the fourth day. BMTC operated only 57 buses across Bengaluru till 8 am. While major transport union KSRTC staff and workers’ federation, which is affiliated to All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), on December 13 urged its members to report to work, only a few employees turned up for duty so far. On December 13, negotiations with protesting employees and state representatives collapsed. The failure stemmed from the government’s reluctance to fulfill the employees’ primary demand that they be brought on the government’s payroll. As CM BS Yediyurappa and other ministers got into a huddle in the night, transport minister Laxman Savadi said it has been decided to use police help and run buses using employees who are ready to return to work. Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa has appealed to KSRTC staff to call off their strike.