After weeks-long uncertainty and repeated court raps, the Kerala government has decided to pay the full pending salary of Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) employees for the months of July and August before Onam. The decision was taken at a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday, which also decided to allay the apprehensions of employees, including salary disbursal.
The decision to provide one-third of the pending salary as cash and two-thirds of salary and festival allowances due as vouchers/coupons, which could be redeemed at select government-owned outlets, had invited the wrath of employees cutting across union lines. The meeting has also instructed the KSRTC management to take steps to provide salaries by the 5th of every month.
Further, steps will be taken to provide employment to daily wage earners who have been laid off. Mechanical staff, ministerial staff and so on will be redeployed. Once this is completed, measures will be taken to appoint temporary mechanical staff. The bata and incentives for conductors and drivers will be credited to their bank account on the respective day, for which an account will be opened in the name of the authorities in all units.
Other decisions include implementing the single-duty system in a phased manner from October 1. The duty will be assigned on a zonal and rotational basis. An advisory committee will be constituted to monitor matters related to the KSRTC and make recommendations, and competent officers will be appointed as zonal office heads. The revised work norms will be implemented in a phased manner in mechanical workshops.
Transport Minister Antony Raju, KSRTC chairman and managing director Biju Prabhakar and others participated in the meeting with the union representatives.
