In a first, private buses hit the roads
Officials of the transport department and BMTC said they plan to rope in more private operators including school buses to provide alternatives if the protest continues.
Strike to continue
Kodihalli Chandrashekar, who is leading the protest, said the strike will continue on Thursday. “The government had promised in December to increase the
Woes of
An interaction with a bunch of BMTC drivers and conductors revealed that they earn anywhere between Rs 15,000 and Rs 40,000, depending on experience. While a driver with five years of experience takes home a salary of around Rs 20,000 after standard deductions, an employee who has worked for about 15 years gets about Rs 30,000 a month.
The govt had promised to raise salaries of transport workers on par with the recommendations of the 6th Pay Commission. We won’t accept 8% revision
–Kodihalli Chandrashekar, workers’ leader
Many said that their salary was too low for the amount of work they do, which stretches beyond 10 to 12 hours.
A few others said they have no issues with the salary but the constant harassment they face from depot managers, divisional controllers when it comes to getting leave, selection of a route and lack of pay for overtime are their problems. There is also a common complaint that the medical benefits and insurance currently provided are not attractive.
