Transport corporation employees in Karnataka have announced another round of agitation, renewing pressure on the State government over long-pending wage-related issues. The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of Road Transport Corporation (RTC) workers’ unions has called for a ‘Bengaluru Chalo’ march, with a day-long protest scheduled at Freedom Park on January 29.
The demonstration will be held between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., and union leaders have said employees from all four State-run transport corporations will participate. In connection with the protest, the JAC has submitted a formal representation to Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy, outlining their demands and expressing dissatisfaction over the lack of progress in talks with the government.
At the core of the agitation is the demand for the release of salary arrears pending for 38 months, along with a comprehensive wage revision that unions say should have come into effect from January 1, 2024. According to union estimates, unpaid dues across the four RTCs have mounted to nearly ₹8,010 crore, intensifying financial pressure on thousands of employees.
Ananth Subbarao, president of the KSRTC Staff and Workers’ Federation, said, “The decision to resume protests was taken after repeated rounds of discussions with the government failed to produce any concrete outcome”.
He further noted that the prolonged delay in implementing wage revision has left many staff members struggling to manage household expenses, even as they continue to provide essential public transport services across Karnataka.
Apart from arrears and pay revision, the unions are pressing for higher allowances, improved medical facilities for employees and their families, and the regularisation of drivers and technical staff currently engaged on a contract basis. A key demand relates to the operation of electric buses, with unions insisting that only permanent corporation drivers should be assigned to these services, citing concerns over safety and operational efficiency if contract workers are deployed.
In August last year, the JAC had announced an indefinite strike following failed negotiations, but the plan was later withdrawn after intervention by the Karnataka High Court.
