After the strike declared by the staff of Balrath Seva, the buses for school children are on vacation. The strike was called by the drivers and attendants to demand an increase in pay and the payment of full 12 months’ salary. In its reply on the monsoon session of the assembly, the government agreed to revise the pay with a 5% annual hike and a salary of Rs 20,000 for drivers and Rs 14,500 for attendants.
The buses were introduced for school students and were to ply within a radius of 3 kms of schools located in the area. However, the buses started plying beyond the 3 kms radius and reached over 10 to 15 km. The staff’s demand is quite natural, given the rising prices of essential commodities such as tomatoes and chillies.
The staff should have called the strike during vacation, so that the government had enough time to study the package and decide on the demands and act accordingly.
The sudden strike has put children in trouble, and they have had to travel in public carriers. The sudden break in service has made students dependent on vehicles passing by to reach school.
