Karnataka Govt bans RTC employees strike as stalemate continues
Bengaluru, Apr 9: The Karnataka government on Friday banned with immediate effect the indefinite strike by employees of road transport corporations over wage related issues, which completed its third day, affecting bus services across the state.
Citing inconvenience caused to the public and the strike being against the provisions of the Industrial Disputes Act, the Labour department issued the ban orders.
The dispute has been referred to the industrial tribunal, Bengaluru, for adjudication, it added
Earlier in the day, Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa appealed to the employees to resume work even as he made it clear that it was not possible to meet their demand for wages as per the Sixth Pay Commission.
Also ruling out any talks, he asked them not to be stubborn under "someone's influence" and understand the financial difficulties of the government in the present situation and cooperate by resuming services, in the interest of the public.
"I request the transport workers with folded hands..don't be stubborn under someone's influence.
Last year, despite COVID related issues when your corporations didn't have money to pay your salaries, we paid it by utilising Rs 2,300 crore from the exchequer," Yediyurappa told reporters here.
The CM clarified that implementation of the sixth pay commission report for RTC workers was not possible under any circumstances in the given situation.
With the government reiterating its stand on wages as per the Sixth Pay Commission, RTC employees decided to continue with the strike on Saturday as well.
Kodihalli Chandrashekhar, honorary president of Karnataka State Road Transport Employees League, said the strike would continue for the fourth day on Saturday.
He also urged the Chief Minister to hear them.
On Friday,as employees of all four transport corporations did not attend duty,buses continued to remain off roads across the state, including Bengaluru, affecting daily commuters.
Passengers travelling to and from distant areas and office-goers were the most affected.
Private buses, mini buses, maxi cabs and other transport vehicles, which authorities roped in to manage the crisis and help commuters, provided services to those stranded in different parts of the city and the state.
However, the number of passengers using private buses continued to remain low in the city, as people used their own vehicles or cabs, the Metro and auto rickshaws, especially in the city areas, private operators said.
The Metro has increased the frequency of its services between 7 AM and 9 PM.
Amid threats of ESMA and "no work no pay", a few RTC workers returned to work and buses were reportedly operating on some routes in the city, along with police escort, sources said, adding there are similar reports from some other places in the state.
The Chief Minister pointed out that 85 per cent of the government's revenue goes towards salaries for government employees, various kinds of pensions and other non-plan expenditure and only 15 per cent is available for developmental works.
"...In such a situation, transport workers should not be stubborn. We have fulfilled eight of your nine demands.
If there are any issues with those eight demands, rectifying it and seeing to it that you get its benefits is our responsibility and I will do it," he said and asked them to cooperate and get back to work.
Noting that the Transport department is for the service of the people,he asked employees to ponder over whether it was fair to remain stubborn when people are facing difficulties.
He also said that many employees are now ready to get back to work voluntarily, as he assured them security.
Transport Department Principal Secretary Anjum Parvez on Thursday had said that the daily loss because of the strike is about Rs 20 crore.
RTCs that have been warning employees against continuing with the strike have started taking action against trainee employees and are issuing notices for absence from work.
To a question on whether he will call for talks, Yediyurappa asked "whom should I talk to? Through you (media) publicly I'm requesting."
"...there is nothing remaining for talks. What is there to talk after fulfilling eight out of nine demands?
I'm not stubborn. As eight demands have been fulfilled, employees should come back and resume bus services. They should not fall prey listening to some people," he added.
On his part Kodihalli Chandrashekhar said the strike would continue until the government understands the employees' "justified demands."
He also called on employees and their families to stage a protest at district and taluk centres in front of Deputy Commissioner or Tahsildar offices at 11 am on April 12 against the government's stand.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Two injuries, one DNF, a DQ as India end messy World Relays campaign
Gaborone (Botswana) (PTI): Amoj Jacob and Ragul Kumar got injured during the men's 4x400m and 4x100 races respectively as India ended their World Athletics Relays campaign in disappointment on the second day of competitions here on Sunday.
The Indian camp had high hopes of making the 2027 World Championships in the men's 4x400m relay but the team did not finish (DNF) the race as Jacob suffered cramps and pulled out of the race after taking the baton from the first leg runner Dharamveer Choudhary. Rajesh Ramesh and Vishal TK were to run in the third and fourth legs.
Those teams which could not qualify for the 2027 Beijing World Championships by reaching the final round of each of the six relay events on Saturday were given another chance in the second qualification round on Sunday.
The top two teams in each of the two heats (in all six relay events) booked the Beijing ticket on Sunday.
India will now have to try and qualify for the World Championships through the Top Lists of the World Athletics, which is a long and tedious process.
In the men's 4x100m race, third leg runner Ragul Kumar fell down the track after failing to hand over the baton inside the exchange zone to fourth leg runner Gurindervir Singh, which clearly showed the lack of coordination among the runners.
Harsh Santosh Raut and Animesh Kujur ran the first two legs.
The Indian quartet was disqualified and Kumar was seen being taken away from the Field of Play with the help of the volunteers.
It was a comedy of errors in the case of the women's 4x100m race, which saw the baton being dropped during an exchange between first leg runner Tamanna and second runner Nithya Gandhe, though the Indians finished the race in 53.09 seconds.
Gandhe started running quite a distance, but after realising that the baton was not in her hand, she turned and ran back to pick it up.
The only silver-lining for the Indian contingent was the national record time in the mixed 4x100m relay race, though the quartet of Ragul Kumar, Nithya Gandhe, Animesh Kujur and Sneha SS finished sixth in heat number two with a time of 41.35 seconds, bettering the previous national mark of 42.30 seconds set in March in Chandigarh.
The mixed 4x400m relay quartet of Theerthesh P Shetty, Kumari Saloni, Nihal William and Rashdeep Kaur ended at fifth in heat number one with a time of 3 minutes and 19.40 seconds.
On Saturday, all the five Indian relay teams had failed to make it to the respective final rounds and thus missed out on the 2027 World Championships berths.
