“Joint Action Committee Warns of Statewide Strike if Salary Hike and Pending Demands Are Not Addressed Promptly – Pressure Mounts on Karnataka Government”
Bengaluru: The growing unrest among employees of Karnataka's four major transport corporations has reached a boiling point. In a strongly worded letter addressed to Chief Minister Shri Siddaramaiah, the Joint Action Committee of the Transport Corporations has demanded the immediate fulfilment of their long-pending demands, especially the salary revision effective from January 1, 2020.
The letter, submitted on June 16, warns the state government of potential consequences if their demands continue to be ignored. It refers to the earlier tripartite meeting held on April 15, 2025, chaired by the Chief Minister himself, which had given employees a glimmer of hope.
“Your assurance that you will talk to us and resolve the demands at the earliest has created a sense of hope among the employees of all categories of the transport corporations,” the letter states.
“But till now there has been no hint from the government about the above meeting.”
The letter also reminds the CM that the employees had postponed a proposed statewide strike scheduled for December 31, 2024, only after receiving verbal assurance from the government. However, due to the government’s prolonged inaction, frustration among the workforce is intensifying.
The Joint Action Committee met Akram Pasha, IAS, the newly appointed Managing Director of KSRTC, and expressed the urgency of the situation. They urged him to fix a new date for a follow-up meeting without further delay.
“Do not test the employees' patience,” the committee warned, emphasizing that unless their salary demands and service-related grievances are resolved without bureaucratic hurdles, the workforce may be compelled to resume the indefinitely postponed strike.
They cited a precedent from the previous administration, which managed to negotiate a salary increase smoothly, without creating any industrial unrest. The committee now demands similar efficiency and sincerity from the current government.
The ball is now firmly in the court of the Chief Minister. Whether the Siddaramaiah-led government will act in time to prevent a complete shutdown of Karnataka’s public transport system remains to be seen.
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