The bus services of the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation were disrupted across the state on Friday as various trade unions called for a 24-hour-long strike from midnight demanding pay revision.
Despite the dies-non imposed by the state government, employees attached to the Kerala State Road Transport Employees Association (KSRTEA) and the Kerala State Transport Employees Sangh (KSTES) went ahead with the strike, resulting in the halting of the bus service and stranding of people at the bus stations.
Common people, especially those who solely depend on public transport, were the worst hit. The bus services are expected to be affected tomorrow also as the unions attached to the Indian National Trade Union Congress and the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) called for a 48-hour-long strike.
Hundreds of employees of the state-run Corporation decided to go on the agitation path after their talks related to the pay revision with Transport Minister Antony Raju failed earlier this week.
When the union demanded immediate implementation of the pay revision, which had been due for the last nine years, the government sought some more time as it was expected to cost the exchequer an additional Rs 30 crore.
Raju said the general public would not accept the strike, which has disrupted their normal life. "Such agitations, which make ordinary people's life difficult and put the government under pressure, cannot be accepted. The government may seriously consider KSRTC as an Essential Service," he told reporters here.
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