Bharath Bundh: Buses, transport workers to strike on September 2

Bharath Bundh: Buses, transport workers to strike on September 2

mangaloretoday.com

Mangaluru, Sep 1, 2015: Ten trade unions jointly called for a nationwide strike on September 2, 2015. Essential services are likely to be impacted tomorrow with the major trade unions going ahead with one-day Bharath Bundh to protest against changes in labour laws even as BJP-backed BMS and National Front of Indian Trade Unions have pulled out.

These ten unions claim a combined membership of 15 crore workers in public as well as private sector enterprises including banks and insurance companies and they have decided to go ahead with the strike after their talks with a group of senior ministers earlier this month failed to yield desired results.

Vasant Achary, Motor Transport and Engineering Workers Union leader and CITU general secretary and  Ashok,  president of Bus Employees Association  said a press release today that workers of city buses,  private service andexpress buses of the district will be taking part in this strike, and that buses will not ply on Wednesday, September 2.

The nationwide protest has received wide support from various trade unions and workers’ federations. The autorickshaw drivers’ associations are yet to take a call on participating in the strike.

Some of the other demands include, control of price rise, minimum wage of Rs 15,000 per month, no violation of labour laws, no contract labour and outsourcing and pension for all. While BMTC and KSRTC officials are saying that they are making last ditch efforts to convince the staff, it seems imminent that the public will have to face commuting troubles on Wednesday.