PANJIM: After Balrath employees threatening to protest to seek their demands, the KTC Drivers and Allied Employees Association on Thursday threatened to go on indefinite strike to press for their demand such as pending Seventh Pay wage agreement since 2016 and arrears of 34 months, effective from January 1, 2016 to October 2018.
Addressing a press conference, All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) general secretary Christopher Fonseca demanded implantation of recommendations of the Seventh Pay Commission and signing of the pay wage agreement, which has been pending since January 2016.
Even the arrears of 34 months to Kadamba Transport Corporation Limited (KTCL) employees both – in service and those retired have not been paid since 2016, he said.
Fonseca said, “Two months back we had staged a dharna. We had also met Chief Minister PramodSawant and KTC chairman and managing director and briefed them about the issues. We told them we had brought to their notice these demands earlier as well. They assured us that they will consider but nothing has happened till date.”
The AITUC leader said the union has now decided that if their demands are not addressed by the end of this month then they will be forced to take to the streets after issuing strike notice to the government.
“If the issues are not addressed by the end of this month, then we will serve a strike notice of one-month and go on strike,” he said.
Fonseca pointed out whether it is Assembly elections in Karnataka or National Games, KTCL buses are used for all sorts of events but when it comes to providing benefits to the employees, the government tries to find excuses.
The government says that unions are not serving notice before going on strike but the same government imposed the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) to prevent strikes, he alleged.
Fonseca pointed out that it is the same BJP government which increased minimum wages for unskilled workers by only Rs 100 after eight years.
“Unskilled workers get only Rs 500 per day. AITUC has demanded that minimum wages should be at least Rs 850 per day. We also demanded that the salary of ‘Badli’ drivers and electric bus drivers working with the KTCL should be increased from Rs 18,000 to at least Rs 30,000 per month. How can you increase the happiness index of workers with such low wages?,” he asked.
Fonseca also claimed that the Goa Human Resource Development Corporation (GHRDC) was paying only Rs 14,000-Rs 15,000 per month to youth recruited for multi-tasking work but raises a bill of Rs 20,000 per head per month.
AITUC deputy general secretary Raju Mangueshkar and officer-bearers of KTC Drivers and Allied Employees Association were also present for press briefing.
