Govt issues order on 15 pc pay hike for transport corporation staff, employees’ stand unclear

BENGALURU: Despite opposition from transport corporation employees, the state government has issued an official order on increasing their salaries by 15 per cent on Friday. This comes ahead of the strike called by the transport corporation employees on March 21.

The government has ordered the wage revision to be effective from March 1 and this includes all four tranport corporations — KSRTC, BMTC, Kalyana Karnataka Transport Corporation and, North West Karnataka Transport Corporation.

The transport corporation workers had called for a strike from March 21, seeking fulfilment of  several demands including a 25 per cent hike in salaries, restoring jobs of all those whose services were terminated for taking part in strikes and withdrawal of all police cases registered against the employees. They have also demanded conduct of elections to the unions, which have not been held for many years.

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Recently, the government had agreed to a 20 per cent pay hike for KPTCL employees after they threatened protest, whereas transport corporations employees were demanding a 25 per cent hike.

On March 16, the toad transport corporations Joint Action Committee members expressed their dissatisfaction over government’s decision to hike salaries by 15 per cent.

However, ahead of the election, the government made an attempt to convince the transport employees. But now, whether they will drop their plan of staging a strike on March 21 or accept the hike remains to be seen.