Thiruvananthapuram: The ongoing strike by the dismissed empanelled employees of the KSRTC in front of the secretariat has been called off with the state government deciding to appoint those with over five years’ service in leave vacancy.
The decision was taken at a meeting convened by Transport Minister A.K. Saseendran here on Friday. Over 1,300 employees of the corporation are on leave on various grounds. Those in leave vacancy will be provided salaries of the days of their work. Other options to absorb them had faced legal issues.
The final report of the Sushil Khanna committee has recommended 5.2 employees per bus against the present 7.2 in the KSRTC. This is acting as a barrier for taking back the dismissed employees.
The KSRTC had dismissed 3,861 empanelled conductors as per the High Court orders in January this year. Foll-owing this, they went ahead with the indefinite satyagraha in front of the secretariat from January 21.
They had earlier taken out a long march from Alappuzha to Thiruva-nanthapuram urging the government to reinstate all the terminated employees. Majority of them had lost their only means of livelihood and many could not get permanent employment through the PSC due to age restrictions.
During a meeting with LDF convener A. Vijaya-raghavan in February, the dismissed conductors pointed out that there was a precedence of making permanent empanelled employees who have completed 10 years service with over 120 duties each year. Of the 3,861 dismissed conductors, 1,561 have completed 10 -year service. The rest should be retained in temporary jobs, they said. The government had promised to discuss it, but the fin-al report of the committee became a hindrance.
The Khanna committee had proposed a reduction in debt thr-ough the sale of assets and creation of profit centres in three zones among other reforms.
