SRTC ends strike

The JK State Road Transport Corporation (JKSRTC) today called off the strike after a detailed meeting with the management.

Talking to jk news, the president SRTC workers union, Shakeel Kuchey, said the management assured that a their “genuine demands” have been put forth before the government and that it would use its offices for speedy action.

“The meeting was held this morning and the officials from the management assured us that the file (listing the demands) has been sent to the government. The officials said they have done their and would further try to communicate with the government over the issue. Therefore, we have called off the strike,” the president said.

Around 4500 employees have been on strike since February 1 for several demands including grant of sixth pay commission and revival of the corporation. All services offered by the corporation including inter-district transport, inter-state transport and bus service to employees were suspended during the period.

The major concern, however, was the upcoming Eid-I-Milad which requires special bus services from SRTC.“The workers were adamant that we shall prolong the strike, but keeping in view Eid-i-Milad on Sunday the union decided to call off the strike,” Kuchey said.

SRTC employees have been on roads, off and on, since 2009 when the workers went on strike for 100 day to demand salaries and revival of the corporation. The state government managed to break the strike by paying them the salaries and reaching out an agreement for revival of the corporation. The promise, according to the workers, is yet to be fulfilled.

“Government promised that the Board of Directors (BoD) meeting would discuss our demands. But since the agreement a single BoD meeting has been held while as it is mandatory for every corporation to hold the meeting every six months. The government did not keep the promise,” Kuchey explained.

Even as the strike has been called off there seems more to the SRTC-government tussle. The union threatens to launch a fresh intensified agitation if the demands were not met.

“We have been told that budget meeting of the sub committee would be held before the budget session. Also the BoD meeting is promised before that. We will wait and see if the assurances are followed up with some action. If it is not the case we will start and agitation more intense than the one in 2009,” the union president said.