Karnataka bus strike leaves several long-distance commuters in lurch
Employees of state-owned road transport corporations launched an indefinite bus strike Tuesday, demanding payment of 38 months' pending arrears and a wage hike. The strike was subsequently suspended by late afternoon after the Karnataka high court stepped for the second time in 24 hours, this time, declaring the shutdown illegal and holding striking employees in contempt.
The Majestic bus stand — the nerve centre for those travelling out of Bengaluru — wore a new look since early Tuesday: Private buses driving into bus bays, a no-go area otherwise.
With KSRTC operating barely 58% of its fleet, passengers were stranded without access to long-distance buses.
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To bail out the passengers, regional transport offices deployed maxicabs and private buses to help them reach their destinations.
Many who reached the terminal unaware of the strike were left waiting for buses to Mangaluru, Shivamogga, Hassan, Hubballi, Davanagere and other destinations.
Even those who booked tickets online faced difficulties.
Prasad Kumar, a stranded passenger, said: "We booked tickets online to travel to Mangaluru, but received no cancellation message. We came to know about the non-availability of the bus only after arriving at the terminal. We had no option but to take a private bus."
Fear of suspension? Employees fall in line
Thousands of transport employees were caught in a pincer, with the govt and the high court calling the strike illegal and trade unions struggling to get the govt to blink on salary arrears and revision hanging fire for several years.
HV Ananth Subba Rao, president of KSRTC Staff and Workers' Federation, alleged the state govt showed indifference to their long-pending demands. "For over a year, we have been demanding that the govt clear 38 months' arrears. The CM agreed to clearing just 14 months'. This is not acceptable," he said.
Cash-strapped road transport corporations are estimated to require Rs 1,800 crore to clear the 38 months' arrears.
Many drivers and conductors expressed frustration at the delay. Their query is simple and straight: If the state could spend Rs 13,000 crore on Shakti (free bus travel) scheme, couldn't it release Rs 1,800 crore to pay off arrears. "We worked day in and day out during the pandemic and after the Shakti scheme. It's distressing that our rightful arrears aren't paid," some of them said.
A driver and a conductor on BMTC's Majestic-HAL route said: "I wanted to join the strike, but I was scared.
In 2021, I was wrongly booked for protesting though I was home, unwell. I lost my job and stayed jobless for two years. With kids to raise and to pay Rs 12,000 rent, it was a struggle. I got my job back only because of a high court order. I do support the strike, but I can't state so openly. We're being made to report a day in advance to ensure we don't skip duty.
We work just to survive — even that's being denied. Suspension is the biggest fear. What do we do if our only livelihood is taken away?"
Another driver on Halasuru route said they were reporting to work out of respect for the court and fear (of losing the only job they have).
"If we're not paid properly, how do we survive?" he asked.
How BMTC ducked the strike blow
With the dust of the 2021 strike refusing to die down, Tuesday's strike had minimal impact on BMTC's city operations, although services to the outskirts were affected. Four years ago, about 4,000 employees reportedly faced action for joining a strike.
BMTC operated 1,500 electric buses managed by private operators. By 4pm when the strike was suspended, BMTC had completed 6,010 out of 6,014 schedules for the day, nearly netting a 100% rate.
The bitter experience of the 15-day strike in April 2021 refuses to go away. A driver said: "Many employees spent 2-3 years without a job due to disciplinary action. They feared joining the strike (this time) would invite more trouble. Also, there's no unity among unions. They could have waited for a day — as per the court's order — for clarity. This strike didn't achieve any major goal."
City bus services operated by the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation were partially affected during morning hours. According to BMTC officials, 3,040 out of 3,121 scheduled services were operational as of 9am. Services from Majestic bus stand, including most night-halt buses and general shift schedules, operated without any hitch.
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