Bengaluru, Aug 4 (NationPress) The Karnataka High Court has issued an interim order on Monday, instructing RTC associations that have initiated a call for an indefinite strike statewide, seeking salary revisions and payment of arrears, to delay their planned action by one day.

A division bench comprising Justices K.S. Mudagal and M.G.S. Kamal delivered the order and has sent notices to the state government, RTC unions, and the Joint Action Committee.

This matter was addressed by the bench as the Chief Justice's bench was not operational on Monday. The bench indicated that it would hear this case again on Tuesday.

Deeksha Amrutesh, the counsel representing the petitioner, expressed concern that the indefinite strike by RTC staff would result in significant public inconvenience. She referenced a prior strike where actions were taken against the staff members. Furthermore, she emphasized that meeting the RTC workers' demands would impose a financial burden of Rs 2,200 crore on the state government. Although a meeting on this matter is scheduled for August 7, the indefinite strike has been called during this ongoing process.

The court inquired of the petitioner regarding the timing of the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) being filed so close to the strike.

H.R. Renuka, the attorney for the RTC employees, clarified that notice of the indefinite strike was initially given on July 15.

In response to the High Court's ruling, Joint Action Committee Chairman Ananth Subbarao questioned the relevance of the one-day strike postponement. 'What does it mean to delay the strike for a day? Does this imply we can commence the protest the following day? Rather than postponing, the court could have directed the government to settle the arrears. I haven’t reviewed the order yet, but once we have a copy, we will make a determination,' he remarked.

Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy stated that the Chief Minister had previously convened a meeting with RTC workers' representatives in July. He noted that there are 14 organizations representing RTC staff in the state, including the Joint Action Committee and the Federation of Associations.

According to him, the workers are requesting the release of arrears for 38 months of revised salary. However, a single-member committee had recommended the payment of revised salary for only 14 months, excluding the Covid-19 period.

The Chief Minister, who presided over the meeting today at Vidhana Soudha, agreed to release Rs 718 crore for the 14-month revised salary. Nevertheless, the representatives rejected this proposal and insisted on the full payment of the 38 months’ arrears, Reddy mentioned.

'The public should not be misled. The court has issued its order. In any scenario, the government has arranged alternative measures. IT companies will be encouraged to adopt work-from-home policies,' the minister concluded.