Karnataka transport strike halts bus services, workers demand wage arrears

Employees of Karnataka's state-run transport corporations launched an indefinite strike on Tuesday morning, severely disrupting public bus services across the state and leaving thousands of passengers stranded. The strike began despite a court order staying the agitation, with unions pressing ahead with demands, including wage revision.

Buses remained parked at depots and only a few were seen running, as some staff chose not to participate in the strike. Some buses in rural areas operated because a few drivers opted to work, providing students with the convenience of being ferried to their schools, said sources in the transport department.

The transport corporations are learned to have roped in trainee bus drivers to manage the situation. Bus stands in major cities like Bengaluru, Chikkamagaluru, Raichur, Chitradurga, Hubballi, Dharwad, Belagavi, Mangaluru, Mysuru, Tumakuru, Hassan, Madikeri, Shivamogga, and Kalaburagi saw heavy passenger rush, with thousands stranded and struggling to find alternate ways to reach their destinations.

Passengers faced difficulty due to the limited number of buses running, mainly those that were on the roads before the strike officially began.

Private bus operators and cab aggregators allegedly made a killing as a result of the strike, as passengers turned to them to reach their destinations. Some passengers complained that autorickshaw drivers were charging exorbitant fares in Bengaluru.

The protest comes after talks between the workers' unions and the Karnataka government failed. The workers are demanding payment of 38 months' salary arrears and a wage revision effective January 1, 2024.

Despite the Karnataka High Court issuing an interim stay on the strike, the unions have decided to go ahead with their protest. The HC had on Monday said that if the entire public transport operation was stalled, people are likely to be put to hardship, and therefore granted the interim stay till Tuesday, awaiting the outcome of negotiations with the government.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had appealed to the unions to call off the strike. However, union leaders said they were unhappy with the government's offer to clear only two years of arrears and had received no clear assurance on salary revision. KSRTC Staff and Workers' Federation president H V Anantha Subbarao said, "We are not satisfied. The strike will begin as planned. We want full 38 months' arrears." During a court hearing, the bench expressed concern over the long-pending wage issues and asked the government about the delay.