Team Herald
PANJIM: The KTC Drivers and Allied Employees Association affiliated to the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) on Thursday have threatened to go on a strike and issued a 21-day notice to the Kadamba
If you enjoyed reading this article, you can help support our journalism by adding OHeraldo as a preferred source.
Transport Corporation (KTCL) management, effective from March 19, if the government fails to pay their Seventh Pay
Commission dues.
The protesters took out a morcha in the city demanding the full implementation of the recommendations of the Seventh Pay
Commission.
AITUC general secretary Christopher Fonseca said ” The KTC management was yet to its workers give 34 months arrears including over 600 retired workers, for the period from January 1, 2016 to October 31, 2018 arising out of implementation of the Seventh
Pay Commission and signing of wage settlement dated March 11, 2024 before the office of the Labour Commissioner.”
He also demanded to restore Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) contribution to 12 per cent for KTCL workers as provident fund contribution was cut by the government to 10 per cent in 2009. He said that during the meeting, the Chief Minister had assured them to restore the provident fund contribution to 12 per cent but till date it was not
restored.
Among other demands, the Association has demanded an increase in the monthly wages of Kadamba bus drivers and conductors with over two years of service, from Rs 18,000 to Rs 30,000.
The Association demanded immediate procurement of 300 new diesel buses to replace 200 scrapped or condemned vehicles over the past two years.
It demanded regularisation of temporary drivers and conductors, who have completed over three years of service and to grant temporary status with
similar pay scales to drivers and conductors serving for over five years in the absence of permanent
vacancies.
It further demanded promotions for senior conductors to Traffic Controller (TC) positions, maintaining a workforce of 120 TCs and to appoint six vehicle examiners in the KTCL.
The protestors demanded to stop outsourcing of electric bus operations and ensuring that all employees working on these buses, including drivers, conductors, and maintenance crews, are on KTCL’s permanent rolls. It strongly opposed 12 hours duty to KTCL drivers driving electric buses.
The rally was addressed by Association president Chandrakant Chodankar and others.
