KSRTC staff threaten to go on strike

Kochi: Two days after the KSRTC management issued a direction banning “sudden protests causing inconvenience to commuters,”  the temporary employees and the employees unions have threatened to go on strike from Monday demanding reinstatement of nearly 60 employees  dismissed recently.

 

“The staff, mostly belonging to depots like Pathanamthitta and Cherthala, were  dismissed after they demanded their salary due for over two months. The management is behaving in an autocratic manner. The M-panel employees will go on strike from Monday while the unions will resort to protest from October 18 if the dismissed staff are  not reinstated,” said Mr K.K. Divakaran, state working president, Kerala State Road Transport Employees' Association.The M-panel employees form one-fourth of the total staff strength of 36, 000.

 

On Tuesday, the KSRTC managing director had issued a circular warning the staff against sudden protests that cause huge loss to the corporation. The employees or union have to take prior permission and intimate the date and venue of protests, or else strict action would be taken against them. In the last two days, the M-panel employees of depots like Pathanamthitta had stayed away from duty resulting in cancellation of many services. The management dismissed the staff who were protesting against the non-receipt of salary for the last two months.