Kerala - Kochi   

KSRTC union seeks pay revision

Staff Reporter

Union to organise widespread agitation to press its demand

KOCHI: The INTUC affiliated KST Workers' Union plans to organise widespread agitation to press for revision of wages as the period of the current wages pact expired in 2002.

Kodikkunnil Suresh, general secretary of the Workers' Union, said that P.K. Gurudasan and Benoy Vishwom, both Ministers in the Left Democratic Front (LDF) Cabinet, who were leaders of the transport trade unions affiliated to CITU and AITUC, were now silent over wages revision.

Mr. Suresh claimed that the erstwhile United Democratic Front (UDF) Government had initiated steps for wages revision before the elections to the State Assembly were declared. Even two months after the LDF Government came to power, there was no move to revise the wages of the KSRTC workers.

Mr. Suresh also claimed that the KSRTC management had issued a secret circular to all depots to cut 10 per cent of the services across the State.

The move was to help the private bus operators, he said, and pointed out that if the order was carried out, passengers would suffer and that the KSRTC would incur heavy loss.

He also accused the LDF Government of failing to take steps against operators of parallel services. He claimed that the number of parallel services had increased significantly since the new Government took charge.

He also called for the immediate reopening of the two tyre shops — Aluva and Thiruvananthapuram — that had been closed.

The Congress leader said that the Workers' Union stood firm in its demand that all the private buses from the 32 nationalised routes be withdrawn and KSRTC buses introduced in their place.

Mr. Suresh expressed disappointment that the LDF Government's first Budget had provided Rs.10 crores for buying new buses while at the same time it ignored measures to improve the performance of the corporation.

He said that an order issued during the UDF Government's time to make pension payments even to those who had less than 10 years of service had not been implemented.

Demand reservation

Mr. Suresh demanded that the 20 per cent reservation for children of KSRTC workers at Pappanamkode KSRTC Engineering College should be restored and the children of the KSRTC workers who got admission there should be taught without fees.

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