Bengaluru: With the state transport employees’ unions going on a strike, the family members of the agitating employees too joined the strike on Wednesday, July 27.
Hundreds of family members staged protest against the state government in front of KSRTC central office at Shanthi Nagar on Wednesday where the meeting was convened between the Minister for Transport and the leaders of the agitating employees.
The family members of the agitating employees who had gathered shouted slogans demanding pay hike as the present pay scale is not sufficient to meet the daily expenses. They also warned to jump into ‘street protest foray’ if the demands of their ‘breadwinners’ of the family are not met.
Adding further, some of the sloganeers also warned of staging protest against the state government in front of the Vidhana Soudha in the coming days if their demands are not met. “The legislators will hike their salaries by and then more frequently on priority, but when it comes to working class, they turn their eyes blind,” an agitator said.
Another woman participant said that the employees of the state transport department fraternity are not even able to pay the fees for their children’s education on time. “Every month we need to listen to school managements’ almost abusive words for being late to pay the fees,” she said.
When Newskarnataka.com asked why not enroll their kids in government schools? She said, “I don’t want my kid to end up in such kind of messed up departments,” she said with gritting teeth.
Vacate quarters
Some of them accused that the senior officials have threatened them to vacate their quarters, if they do not refrain from the ongoing indefinite strike called by the state transport employees’ union.
Adding further, they said that the quarters are in dilapidated condition and nobody knows when those will collapse. “Although, knowing the condition of our living quarters, we are coping with whatever we have just because we cannot afford a decent rented house to live,” said one of them almost sobbing.
Members of more than 50 families participated in the protest.