Karnataka transport employees strike enters day two

More than one lakh employees’ of the corporations are on strike since Sunday midnight with about 41 demands, prominent among them being a 35 per cent wage hike, while the government has offered a 10 per cent increase. 

Though the unions and government have agreed to resolve most of the issues in the charter of demands in the days to come, the wage hike has remained a sticky point on which both sides have refused to budge. 

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said there was no chance of giving more than a 10 per cent hike as the corporations did not have the capacity to give more.

“We are not adamant nor is it a prestige issue for us. In the Cabinet, we decided to give an eight per cent hike after our officials held several rounds of discussions with Union leaders. After that, I along with Ramalinga Reddy (transport minister) held meeting in which we told them we will give 10 per cent. They are not agreeing to it,” he said.