Some demands of RTC staff conceded

The State government has agreed to fulfil some of the demands made by employees of road transport corporations (RTCs) who had staged protests in December 2020.

Employees will be eligible for cashless medical treatment at government hospitals and government-run autonomous hospitals, as per directions issued by the principal secretary of the Transport Department to the MDs of all four corporations (KSRTC, BMTC, NWKRTC and NEKRTC) on February 10.

RTCs have been directed to sign an MoU with hospitals. Staff will also be reimbursed for medical expenses incurred along the lines of government employees.

The government has agreed to provide ₹30 lakh compensation to dependants of employees who died after contracting COVID-19. Corporations, which have been asked to provide monetary compensation, will use internal sources to pay the compensation. RTCs have also been asked to change the administrative set-up to address the grievances of employees at the workplace, human resource management systems, and other processes.

Last December, employees of transport corporations went on a four-day strike across the State. Their main demand was to be considered as government employees and receive all the benefits this entailed. However, the State government has not yet considered this demand as it will have huge financial implications on the exchequer.