Latest news with #AnanthaSubbarao
New Indian Express
3 days ago
- New Indian Express
After Karnataka HC rap, transport staff suspend stir till Aug 7
BENGALURU: After the Karnataka High Court rap, the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of Trade Unions of KSRTC, led by AITUC-affiliated KSRTC Staff and Workers' Federation, on Tuesday afternoon temporarily suspended the indefinite strike till August 7. The strike had been called demanding a salary hike for transport staff and settlement of their salary arrears for the last 38 months. While the impact of the strike was limited in Bengaluru, passengers in other districts were severely affected. Nearly 50% of Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC), North Western Road Transport Corporation (NWKRTC) and Kalyana-Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (KKRTC) bus services were affected by the strike. Respective district administrations and regional transport offices arranged private vehicles across the state. Security was beefed up at major bus stands. No untoward incidents were reported across the state, except stone throwing on KSRTC buses at Hubballi and Kolar. Two masked men on a motorbike followed a KSRTC bus, which was heading from Hubballi to Hosapete with nearly 25 passengers, and threw stones at it. As Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) bus services were disrupted during the first half of the day, autos allegedly fleeced customers. People who couldn't miss their hospital visits and check-ups said they had to pay through their nose for the ride. Some office-goers said they took the Metro, while Bengaluru saw increased traffic during peak hours as many took out their vehicles. Those heading to the Kempegowda International Airport said the fares of taxis were higher than normal. We've only suspended strike temporarily: JAC While private buses were deployed to assist stranded passengers at the Kempegowda Bus Station (Majestic), by 10.30 am, there were hardly any passengers, rendering the effort largely ineffective. Frustrated by the low turnout, private bus drivers said, 'This is a day of income gone down the drain for us.' KSRTC Staff and Workers' Federation president HV Anantha Subbarao announced around 4 pm that the strike is being suspended temporarily till August 7 and requested the employees to immediately report to duty, after which the services gradually returned to normal.
India Today
5 days ago
- Business
- India Today
Wage hike, arrear talks fail between Karnataka transport union and Siddaramaiah
Talks between the Karnataka government and transport corporation employees ended in a deadlock on Monday, with no agreement reached on key issues of wage revision and arrears employees had threatened to go on strike from Tuesday, but have now deferred their protest, citing a pending court hearing on the same of the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) Staff and Workers Federation, HV Anantha Subbarao, said the meeting with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah lasted two hours but failed to yield results. The unions are demanding a 25 per cent wage hike from the current base of Rs Rs 1,124 and arrears for 38 months, which they estimate to be around Rs 1,800 'The Chief Minister appealed to us to withdraw the strike. He offered to pay arrears for 14 months and begin wage negotiations only after the Assembly session. But we cannot accept that. We want arrears for the entire 38-month period, we worked during that time. We also want a commitment to start wage hike talks immediately,' Subbarao added that the issue is now narrowed down to 24 months' arrears, roughly Rs 1,000 crore, as the government has already agreed to pay for 14 months. 'This is not a fresh financial burden. Talks can still continue even during the strike, but the ball is in the government's court,' he Minister Siddaramaiah, however, said the unions' current demands go beyond what was agreed to earlier. 'In 2016, when I was Chief Minister, I had implemented a 12.5 per cent wage hike. In March 2023, the previous government signed an agreement for a 15 per cent increase in basic pay. A committee led by Srinivas Murthy recommended paying arrears from January 2022 to February 2023, and we have accepted that. But asking for 38 months of arrears now is unreasonable,' he pointed out that the financial condition of the transport corporations is fragile. 'When we came to power, the collective debt was Rs 4,000 crore. In 2018, it was only Rs 14 crore. None of the corporations are running in profit. The government will not act unfairly, but we all have to cooperate,' he insisted that matters should be resolved through dialogue and said the possibility of holding elections to transport unions would be examined. Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy, Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh, and several corporation chairpersons and union leaders were present at the the strike has been deferred, the deadlock remains. 'There will be no protest tomorrow. We will wait for the court hearing on Tuesday before deciding our next course of action,' the union said.- Ends IN THIS STORY#Karnataka
New Indian Express
5 days ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Talks with CM Siddaramaiah fail; KSRTC trade unions' joint action committee to go on indefinite strike from Aug 5
The JAC of trade unions of KSRTC, led by AITUC-affiliated KSRTC Staff and Workers' Federation, had called for an indefinite strike from August 5, citing various demands, including a 25 per cent pay hike with effect from January 1, 2024, settlement of pending salary arrears for 38 months (January 1, 2020, to February 28, 2023), and wage revision to be in effect for four years (from January 1, 2024 to December 31, 2027). On Monday, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah chaired a high-level meeting, along with Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy, President of the Federation HV Anantha Subbarao, and representatives of the JAC, at Vidhana Soudha. The negotiation meeting lasted for almost three hours. Anantha Subbarao, who addressed the media after the meeting, said that they will go ahead with the strike. 'Chief Minister Siddaramaiah remained non-committal on the 25 per cent wage hike revision from January 1, 2024. As against the clearance of 38 months' salary arrears, CM has agreed to pay only 14 months. Stalemate continued, and we are going ahead with the protest', Anantha Subbarao said.
