A 24-hour strike called by Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) employee unions in protest against the management’s failure in distributing salaries on time was total in the district on Friday, in spite of the CITU union staying away from it.
Most employees joined the strike ignoring the dies-non (no-work, no-pay) declaration by the government. Although the CITU had said it would conduct services, only four buses could be run in the district, including the Bond (bus on demand) services to Coimbatore and Mannuthi.
All other services in the district were stalled. Many passengers were trapped at the KSRTC bus-stand in Palakkad town. Meanwhile, private buses conducted services on Thrissur-Palakkad route in spite of uncertainties over high toll at Panniyankara.
The private buses on Thrissur-Palakkad route were on strike for the last several days over the issue of toll fee. But they conducted the services by forcibly removing the barricades at the toll gate. The presence of private buses brought relief to the passengers.
The striking KSRTC employees took out a demonstration in the town under the banner of the KST Employees Sangh. Sangh State secretary P.K. Baiju inaugurated the march. Local unit president K.P. Radhakrishnan presided.
INTUC district president Manoj Chingannur inaugurated the protest staged by the INTUC-TDF employees. INTUC unit president Sudhakaran presided over the function.
