The talks between the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) management and the employees’ unions chaired by Transport Minister Antony Raju failed to reach a consensus on implementing the 12-hour single-duty system in the transport utility.
The employees’ outfits have been opposing the move to introduce the single-duty system consisting of 12 hours of duty six days a week. Though they have to work only eight hours, the employees will have to spend four hours in the office as part of the new work arrangement to tide over the crisis in the public utility. But the unions maintained that they were ready to work for 12 hours a day, but would work only 48 hours a week.
If the proposed single duty was implemented, employees would be eligible only for a weekly off after working 12 hours a day for six days. This could not be agreed upon, the employees’ outfits said in the meeting. The CITU-affiliated employees’ union didn’t raise any major protests against the new system while the other unions refused to agree to the system.
The talk will continue as the management has to take the employees into confidence before implementing the new system.
