Karnataka government employees protest demanding higher salaries, old pension scheme

Karnataka government employees on Wednesday staged a protest at the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Campus in Bengaluru, demanding the implementation of the Seventh Pay Commission.

"We'll not take back the decision of employees protesting until the CM takes the decision to implement the Seventh pay commission recommendations. We have given choice to CM, and we'll wait for the government's decision," said C S Shadakshari, President of Karnataka state employees association.

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The employees have put forward their demands including implementation of the Seventh Pay Commission report and implementation of at least 40 per cent of fitment facilities, and reverting to the Old Pension Scheme.

A senior education department official told PTI today that there are standing instructions to all the schools to remain open. “We have given directions to keep the schools open. If the teachers do not turn up then they will be marked absent,” the officer said. He added that 10th class preparatory examinations are going on and teachers have been told that they should be conducted as per schedule.

The health department is also on the toes to ensure that the emergency services remain open during the strike. A health officer told PTI that all the important hospitals in districts have been directed to ensure that the trauma and emergency health services are not disrupted. “It is too early to say how the situation would be throughout the day but as of now, the services are as usual. We have made arrangements to ensure that the trauma and emergency healthcare services are not affected,” the official said.

The Karnatska State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) and Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) buses were seen plying as usual in the morning.

The police department has also taken steps to make sure that no law and order situation is created due to the strike, a police officer said. There are instructions to protect any damage to the government properties, especially buses, due to the strike.

A few government officers PTI spoke to said that the government offices may not function like normal days and most of them could remain shut.

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai had on Tuesday reached out to the employees, saying the administration was ready to seek Seventh Pay commission's interim report and implement it.

Most of the services, barring a few like transport, critical care at hospitals and crematoriums, are likely to be hit, as talks between the government and the employees' association to avert the strike have so far not yielded "positive results." "Our senior officials are in touch with the government employees association and their President, holding talks. I have already made it clear in the Assembly that we are the ones who formed the seventh pay commission and it will be implemented in 2023-24 itself, and funds have been allocated for it in the budget," Bommai told reporters at Hubballi on Tuesday.

Karnataka State Government Employees' Association President C S Shadakshari, had said on Tuesday that there is no question of them withdrawing the call for strike at this point in time.

(With inputs from PTI)