Onam paradox: Bevco workers reap 'bumper' bonus as KSRTC staff continue to face hardship

Thiruvananthapuram: Even as a good amount of bonus is disbursed among government employees and most board corporations in the state on the occasion of Onam, this time too, the KSRTC employees are in tears. 

The KSRTC workers could only heave a sigh as they received this month’s salary while employees of other corporations, including Bevco, received huge bonuses. The KSRTC has to find Rs 28.5 crore to pay festival allowance and bonus for Onam. KSRTC employees will be happy only if the Finance Department agrees to this. The corporation has issued a letter in this regard.

Bevco employees received Rs 95,000 as bonus this time. Government employees will also get a good amount this time. Government employees were given a bonus of Rs 4,000, and those who were not eligible for bonus were given a special festival allowance of Rs 2,750 on the occasion of Onam. 

A special festival allowance of Rs 1000 was given to the service pensioners and employees who retired under the Participatory Pension Scheme. An amount of Rs 20,000 has been allotted as an Onam advance to all government employees in the state. For other employees, including part-time contingent, the advance is Rs 6000. Festival bata has been given to all categories of employees, including contract scheme workers, who got festival bata last year at the same rate this year. Meanwhile, KSRTC, a public sector organisation, has a fair policy towards its employees.

This time, KSRTC had to work hard to find money to pay salaries. This time the salary was paid in one lump sum by taking Rs 50 crores as overdraft and adding the earmarked amount to the fuel companies. Rs 74.8 crore was amassed in this way. 

The management took this initiative to fulfill the promise of one-time salary payment for Onam. It is only after a year and a half, the KSRTC employees are getting full salary in lump sum. Salary is being paid in two instalments from February 2023. KSRTC was not able to provide even this without interruption.

This time, the employee unions decided to go on strike if the salary was not paid. In any case, that crisis was averted. A move to resolve the crisis was made by taking a one-time loan of Rs 450 crore from the bank consortium to pay full salaries, but this was unsuccessful. Later, it tried to borrow money from Kerala Bank, but the conditions proved challenging. The government has been requested for additional financial assistance. But they got only the amount to be paid to the pensioners. Due to this, the corporation was forced to take overdrafts and take the money owed to the fuel companies. The crisis is expected to intensify from next month.

Relief fund also under question

The KSRTC employees, who are suffering without bonus and holiday pay, have also moved to withdraw money from their salaries to the relief fund. They are directed to pay not less than five days’ salary to the Chief Minister's Relief Fund for Wayanad.

According to the KSRTC Managing Director's order issued in this regard, it is mandatory to contribute to the Chief Minister's Relief Fund. Consent letters will be taken from the employees before collecting the amount. The order says that those who contribute five days' wages can pay the amount in 3 instalments. The amount contributed to CMDRF will be deducted from September salary. It is also suggested that employees can pay the amount from PF.

Meanwhile, the State Government withdrew the controversial order amid flak.