Employees of Karnataka’s four state transport corporations will hold a sit-in on October 7 to press for wage revision, pending salary arrears and the release of other employee benefits, the Joint Action Committee of transport workers’ organisations said in Bengaluru on Tuesday.
The announcement was made at a press conference by committee leaders Jyoti Anantasubbarao and B. Jayadevaraja Urs. The organisations said the protest follows earlier assurances from the Karnataka government that their demands would be addressed after workers had twice been called to strike in the past.
The committee alleged that the government has not implemented those assurances and said the transport minister has not provided an opportunity for the organisations to discuss the issues directly. The source report did not specify the venue of the October 7 sit-in or whether the action is expected to affect bus operations across the state.
The workers are seeking a revision of the wage order with effect from January 2024. They have also demanded an increase of more than 15% in salaries. In addition, the organisations are seeking the immediate release of 12 months of salary arrears from 2020.
The demands cover both regular pay and employment-linked benefits. The committee has asked for an increase in monthly allowances and daily allowances for employees. It has also sought the release of pending provident fund contributions, gratuity and dearness allowance payments.
Karnataka’s state transport system relies on four transport corporations to provide bus services across urban, intercity and rural routes. Any prolonged labour action by employees could therefore have implications for daily commuters, students, workers and passengers travelling between towns. However, the workers’ organisations have announced a sit-in rather than a strike in the statement reported by Prajavani, and no service disruption has been confirmed.
The dispute also highlights the administrative challenge of managing employee costs in public transport corporations while maintaining regular bus services. The committee’s demands include both a retrospective wage adjustment and the settlement of statutory and employment-related dues, but the report does not provide details of the corporations’ financial position, the government’s response or the status of negotiations.
The press conference was also attended by workers’ leaders H.D. Revappa, Mohan Raj and Gandasi Sadanandaswamy. The Joint Action Committee has scheduled the sit-in for October 7, when it is expected to press the government to act on the wage revision, arrears and benefit-related demands.
