Bengaluru, Aug 5 (IANS) After the employees’ union of the state-owned transport corporations decided to go on an indefinite strike, bus services across Karnataka were severely affected on Tuesday, causing major inconvenience to passengers.

Most RTC staffers did not report for duty in support of the strike. The staffers have been demanding the fulfilment of their various demands, including salary revision.

Despite a High Court order against the strike and the state government’s implementation of the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA), only 10 per cent of employees turned up for work.

RTC services were disrupted across all district headquarters, especially in Bengaluru and northern Karnataka districts. Authorities deployed private buses as an alternative arrangement. However, women passengers had to pay for the service, unlike in government-run buses, where they are entitled to free travel.

Many passengers arriving in Bengaluru from other states and relying on RTC buses to reach their destinations were stranded at the Majestic bus stand. Services of the Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) were also hit. However, authorities ensured that buses operated from Kempegowda International Airport (KIAL) to various parts of the city.

The Transport Department has requested that IT companies allow employees to work from home. Software professionals with access to cab facilities or Metro services were able to reach offices without major issues. Instructions were also issued to increase the frequency of services by the Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL).

The department is arranging for 11,000 private buses for Tuesday (August 5) and Wednesday (August 6), including 4,000 buses within Bengaluru city alone.

Meanwhile, a bench headed by the Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court is scheduled to hear the matter later in the day. Two high-level meetings chaired by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah at Vidhana Soudha on Monday failed to yield results, with RTC representatives remaining firm on their demands for salary revision and arrear payments.

RTC staff are demanding the immediate release of 38 months’ pending salaries, a salary revision effective from August 1, an end to staff harassment, a halt to privatisation, and resolution of other related issues.

Two previous rounds of negotiations had also failed to reach an agreement.

The RTC unions have declared that 1.15 lakh employees across the state will participate in the strike, as a copy of the High Court order reached them late.

RTC buses are the primary mode of transportation for commuters, connecting cities with rural areas across Karnataka.

The Congress-led state government has enabled free travel for women under the ‘Shakti’ scheme. The budget allocation for the scheme has been increased from Rs 5,015 crore in 2024-25 to Rs 5,300 crore this year. However, the BJP and JD(S) have criticised the scheme, alleging that the Congress government is jeopardising the financial health of RTCs for electoral gains. The state government has refuted these allegations, asserting that the scheme has empowered crores of women and will not be withdrawn under any circumstances.

–IANS

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