THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The joint action council (JAC), which represents four unions of the KSRTC, plan to go on an indefinite strike from the last week of February in protest against the pro-private sector stand of the Government.

The leaders of the JAC, in a statement here on Tuesday, said that it would be preceded by a unit-level campaign from January 12 to 24. One lakh letters will also be mailed to Chief Minister Oommen Chandy as part of the protest. Two State-level vehicle rallies would be organised from February 2.

The JAC's decision follows the granting of six weeks' time by the Supreme Court to the State Government to amend the law for retaining private bus services, which were being operated unauthorised on nationalised routes, on a plea from the latter.

The JAC leaders felt that the amending of the law relating to nationalised routes for the private sector would affect the KSRTC. It would benefit the private buses. They added that the KSRTC management had filed a statement in the apex court expressing its ability to operate services as and when the permits of the private buses expired. The KSRTC's stand had been duly reported to the Government as well. But the Government had not accepted the stand.

They said that 70 per cent of the KSRTC's revenue came from the nationalised routes. Once the law was amended, the KSRTC would lose its monopoly in these routes. It would gradually affect the very existence of the corporation. The KSRTC employees had organised a token strike on December 29 against the move to amend the law. The statement was signed by K. K. Divakaran, general secretary of the KSRTEA, who is also the convener of the JAC, M. Radhakrishnan Nair, general secretary, KSTEU (AITUC), and Thakidi Krishnan Nair, general secretary, KSRTC Labour Union, who are also joint conveners of the JAC and Gopinathan Nair, general secretary, KST Employees Sangh (BMS).

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail