Karnataka’s state road transport corporations are exploring the option of allowing employees to go on a one-year unpaid leave to extricate them from long-running financial woes which have worsened under the Covid-19 pandemic.
KSRTC Managing Director Shivayogi C Kalasad has written to the heads of the three corporations — BMTC, NWKRTC, NEKRTC — seeking their views on the proposal.
“As regular transport operations have not resumed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the corporation is facing economic distress,” Kalasad wrote to the managing directors of the three corporations. “Keeping the health of the employees and economic welfare of the corporation, it is proposed to sanction one-year leave without salary and benefits to employees who seek the same... It is requested to look into the proposal and provide your views.”
Even before the Covid-19 crisis, the four corporations had been mired in financial distress for more than three years due to rising fuel cost and upward revision of salaries for their 1.23 lakh employees.
“Together, they had posted losses of more than Rs 800 crore for the previous financial year. The cumulative losses of each corporation goes much higher. As Covid-19 has severely affected revenue generation, such measures are not a surprise,” sources in the government said.
To a question on the proposal, Kalasad stressed that it was voluntary. “It is aimed at employees whose services are not utilised due to the limited operations. Even then, not everyone is allowed to go on leave. Each employee has to meet the criteria, including the proof that he/she is going to pursue education,” he said, adding that it was still at the consultation stage.
The terms and conditions released to the media, however, did not speak about the requirement of proof of education.
As per the conditions, during the one year leave, the employees will not be eligible for promotion or other benefits. In case one wants to rejoin work, he/she has to wait till a posting is offered and the waiting period will be considered as leave.
The KSRTC Staff and Workers Federation reacted strongly, slamming the “inhuman and unconstitutional move”.
“Though the provision says it is ‘voluntary’, the depot manager will bring pressure on employees to take leave,” president of the Federation H V Anantasubbarao said, adding that employees above 55 were already being forced to go on leave.