Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court has issued an interim stay on the strike planned by state-run transport unions for Tuesday, directing them to postpone the agitation until the next hearing on August 5. The court noted ongoing discussions between union representatives and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and emphasised that a halt in public transport services would cause hardship to the public. It ordered respondent No.7 to hold off the strike until the case is heard again.

During the hearing, the court questioned the government about the delay in wage revision for drivers and conductors, expressing concern about the neglect of their interests. Government counsel and Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) representatives informed the court that a Joint Action Committee (JAC) — representing employees from the state’s four transport corporations — had announced the strike despite ongoing conciliation proceedings under legal frameworks.

The JAC demands include a salary revision effective January 1, 2024, release of pending arrears for 38 months (from January 1, 2020, to February 28, 2023), and insistence that the revised pay structure remain in place until December 31, 2027.

With inuputs from PTI