130,000 public transport workers strike in Indian state of Karnataka in defiance of draconian government threats
The right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state government in the southern Indian state of Karnataka is mounting an all-out offensive to suppress a major strike by some 130,000 public road transport workers. The government has so far arrested over 130 workers, fired hundreds and suspended thousands more.
Led by Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa, the government is also cynically using the ongoing COVID-19 crisis to pressure the employees to return to work, citing the “inconvenience” the strike is causing to the local population, which depends upon public transport for daily travel.
Karnataka bus services hit as RTC workers go on strike
Karnataka bus services hit as RTC workers go on strike
The Karnataka bus strike is against the governments failure to implement a salary under the 6th Pay Commission for the Road Transport Corporation workers.
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UPDATED: April 8, 2021 01:30 IST
KSRTC employees take rest in the shade of a bus at Majestic Bus Depot in Bengaluru (Photo Credits: PTI)
Bus services were affected in most parts of Karnataka on Wednesday as drivers and conductors of road transport corporations (RTC) began their indefinite strike on wage-related issues.
With the government not ready to concede to their demands for implementation of the Sixth Pay Commission report, the RTC workers decided to continue with the strike.