Thiruvananthapuram: Transport Minister KB Ganesh Kumar condemned the KSRTC employees' decision to observe a 24-hour strike from Monday midnight. The Transport Democratic Federation (TDF), a coalition of INTUC-affiliated unions, announced the strike, raising 12 demands, including timely salary disbursement, pension payments, and the release of the pending 31 per cent Dearness Allowance.

The minister declared that strict action would be taken against the employees participating in the strike. He also termed the strike as an attempt to destroy the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC).

“The strike is a move to destroy KSRTC. I appeal to the employees to refrain from the protest. If we have announced plans to disburse salaries on the first of every month, we will definitely implement it. There is no need to strike over salary issues,” said Minister Ganesh Kumar.

“The strike will not affect the government or me; only KSRTC and its ordinary employees will suffer from it,” he added.

KSRTC Chairman and Managing Director Pramod Sankar has issued a circular invoking 'dies non' (no work, no pay) for those participating in the strike. Despite holding discussions with the workers, they refused to call off the strike unless their demands were met.

The strike is expected to impact the public, with over 50 percent of KSRTC buses likely to stay off the roads across Kerala.

Other key demands of the protesting employees include halting the privatisation of nationalised routes, issuing a government order to implement the wage revision agreement, and distributing special allowances to drivers.