Contract drivers boycott duty, disrupting transport services in Huvinahadagali

Pic: Buses stand idle as drivers demand pending salariesHuvinahadagali (Vijayanagara): Transport services were disrupted on Tuesday after 28 contract drivers attached to the local KKRTC depot boycotted duty and staged a protest against a private agency for allegedly withholding their wages and provident fund dues on Tuesday.The drivers, employed through security service, alleged that the agency has not paid their salaries for the past 2 months. They also claimed that although Rs 2,800 was deducted every month from their wages for the past 3 years towards provident fund contributions, the amount was not yet deposited into their PF accounts.The protesting drivers said irregular payment of salaries made it difficult for them to manage their livelihoods. Some drivers said they were unable to pay their children's school fees and that school authorities withheld SSLC examination hall tickets as a result.The drivers alleged that when they raised the issue with depot and divisional officials, they were told that they were not employees of the transport corporation and should instead approach the agency. However, they claimed that the agency did not respond to their grievances.They further alleged that the agency did not pay the promised monthly salary of Rs 25,000. Drivers said that even when they reported to the depot for duty, they were sometimes not assigned work and were instead fined Rs 590 per day for mistakes that were not theirs.The drivers demanded that the pending salaries and the PF amounts deducted from their wages be deposited immediately, particularly since the agency's contract period expired. They also insisted that salaries be paid before the 10th of every month and that clear service rules be framed for contract drivers.The protesters maintained that they would resume duty only after transport department officials held discussions with the agency and provided a clear assurance that their issues would be resolved.Contract drivers Naveen, Nagaraj, Prashanth, Ujaratti Veeresh, Sharanappa, Anand and Prabhu were among those leading the protest.KKRTC senior divisional controller Rajesh Huddar responded that the agency's contract period ended and it delayed salary payments. He said the corporation held a deposit of Rs 60 lakh from the agency and salaries could be paid from that amount."We asked the drivers to report for duty, but they were not convinced. It is true that there was some disruption in bus operations today due to their strike. If the strike continues tomorrow, we will deploy our own staff to operate the buses," he said.With the contract drivers abstaining from work, more than 25 rural bus routes remained shut, disrupting transport services and causing inconvenience to the public and students who rely on the buses for daily travel.