The KSRTC management should resolve the employees’ protests amicably instead of taking disciplinary action against them, said Dharmesh, State secretary and Hassan district president of Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU).
At a press conference in Hassan on Tuesday, Mr. Dharmesh said the management had suspended several employees and dismissed a few. Besides that it had not released salaries of previous months for the employees. “Withholding the salaries of the employees is inhuman. By taking such harsh measures, the State government is making the issue more complicated, instead of resolving the issue”, he said.
The employees of four transport corporations had served the public in all adverse conditions and made the transport system in the State one among the best in the country. The corporations could secure many national awards because of their hard work. “However, the salary and other benefits have not been enhanced properly. Besides that, the successive governments have made efforts to weaken the trade unions. And, the harassment of workers has gone up. In view of these developments, the employees are on strike”, he said. He also commented that those who gave a call for the strike should have involved all the organisations that had extended support during the protest in December 2020.
H.S. Manjunath, state general secretary of KSRTC Employees Federation, M.B. Pushpa, district secretary of CITU, and others were present at the press conference.
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