Retrenched empanelled bus crew of KSRTC in dire straits in Kerala
Empanelled bus crew of the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) who’re in dire straits after the company discontinued their companies in March 2020 are on the warpath, with most of them bereft of another supply of revenue.
Many of them have been recruited over a decade in the past from the Employment Exchange listing and are unable to use for brand new jobs since they’re both in their center age or have crossed it.
“I joined the KSRTC as a driver in 2010 and served until March 2020, after the company cited a High Court order to discontinue our companies, stated T. K. Santosh, from Kolenchery.
“Being the sole breadwinner of my family, I am now finding it difficult to look after my family, including educational expenses of two children and my aged mother. Most like me have little or no savings either, since all that we got was ₹500 per duty day. On an average, a driver did no more than 13 duties each month, since we needed to take a break to sleep,” he says.
There are over 1,200 such empanelled personnel who were employed as drivers, conductors and mechanics till March 2020. “Neither the government and the management nor the trade unions are taking up our cause. We are unable to register for new jobs since we have not been served relieving orders. In this situation, the KSRTC or the government must provide us at least ₹3,000 per month for our sustenance. We must also be reinstated into the rolls of KSRTC or KSRTC-Swift once normal services resume,” he said.
Then there are others like A.V. Bindumol of Muvattupuzha and T.M. Rafeeq of Kangarapady — empanelled crew who worked for over a decade in the agency, following which their services were discontinued in March 2020. Both pleaded that the KSRTC or the government should extend urgent help to sustain their families.
State secretary of Kerala State Transport Workers’ Union (INTUC) Aliyar M. I. said empanelled workers are amongst the worst hit since they are not eligible for getting monetary relief under the government’s welfare schemes, because they were considered KSRTC employees all through. “They have been left to fend for themselves, though we submitted many memoranda to the federal government,” he added.
‘KSRTC-Swift essential’
Responding to the predicament of empanelled staff, the CMD of KSRTC Biju Prabhakar stated the company, which is discovering it tough to pay the salaries of even everlasting staff, is in no place to increase them any financial assist. “The finest that we are able to do is to accommodate a number of of them in KSRTC-Swift, which might be an impartial entity, for the reason that High Court directed discontinuation of their companies in the KSRTC. Unfortunately, we’re unable to represent KSRTC-Swift since two unions have challenged its formation earlier than the High Court,” he stated.
Yet one other likelihood is to nominate eligible personnel in a lorry division that has been envisaged, whereby KSRTC would be capable of function and preserve lorries of different authorities departments, Mr. Prabhakar added.