Amid the strike call given by a section of employees in the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) in protest against the management’s decision to implement a 12-hour duty system in the transport utility, the Corporation management has decided to go ahead with the revised duty system and distributed the duty schedule for employees in eight depots in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday.
The revised duty schedule was given at a meeting called by the Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of the KSRTC, which the union representatives attended. During the meeting, the chairman explained the plan of the management and asked the unions to submit their opinion on the duty schedule by Thursday. The third round of meeting will also then discuss the strike notice issued by the Transport Democratic Federation (TDF), the trade union affiliated with the Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC), from October 1.
The management’s decision to extend the eight-hour duty to 12 hours, though the workers will not be given working time beyond eight hours, has irked all the trade unions. However, only TDF has given a strike call while other unions have been looking for some changes in the revised duty schedule issued as per the 12-hour single duty system.
