Indefinite bus strike called off as Karnataka HC warns RTC union of arrest, contempt action

Bengaluru, Aug 5 Following strong criticism and a warning of arrest from the Karnataka High Court, the RTC employees’ unions on Tuesday called off their indefinite bus strike across the state.

The unions had continued their protest despite the court’s earlier order and the state government’s invocation of the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA), which had brought bus services to a halt and caused widespread inconvenience to the public.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and comprising Justice C.M. Joshi, while hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) on the matter, strongly reprimanded the Joint Action Committee of RTC Labour Organisations. It warned that if the strike was not called off, contempt of court proceedings would be initiated, and the state government could arrest the office bearers under the ESMA.

The court also issued notices to the State Road Transport Corporations Employees' Organisations. The matter was adjourned to August 7, and the stay on the indefinite strike was extended by two days.

Advocate General Shashi Kiran Shetty, representing the state government, informed the court that the ongoing strike was causing severe hardship to the public. He further stated that discussions with the unions were ongoing under the provisions of the Industrial Disputes Act.

The bench questioned whether the strike had officially been called off and directed that this information be submitted to the court by Wednesday. It warned that failure to comply would result in contempt proceedings and arrest orders.

"If you have issues, resolve them through discussions with the government. The court will not tolerate the public being used as leverage. Despite the High Court’s order, directions were not followed. Under the ESMA, office bearers can be arrested for this," it warned.

Counsel for the Joint Action Committee informed the court that the strike would not continue.

The bench also emphasised that public services should not be disrupted by the strike.

Following the court's ruling, Joint Action Committee Chairman Ananth Subbarao, at a press conference, announced that the organisations respect the rule of law and have decided to postpone the indefinite strike. "The strike has been postponed. I appeal to all RTC employees to report to duty immediately," he urged.

He further stated that the employees had not violated the High Court’s guidelines. "

Counsel Deeksha Amrutesh, who filed the PIL, stated that the High Court had directed authorities to take action if the strike continued unofficially. She added that the indefinite strike was organised by five labour organisations coming together.

Bus services across Karnataka were severely affected throughout the day on Tuesday as most RTC staffers did not report for duty until the strike was called off, causing major inconvenience to passengers.

RTC services were disrupted across all district headquarters, especially in Bengaluru and northern Karnataka districts. Authorities deployed private buses as an alternative arrangement. However, women passengers had to pay for the service, unlike in government-run buses, where they are entitled to free travel.

Many passengers arriving in Bengaluru from other states and relying on RTC buses to reach their destinations were stranded at the Majestic bus stand. Services of the Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) were also hit.

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