Nation wide demo by transport workers today

Mangalore Today News Network

Dec 05, 2014: The National Federation of Indian Transport Workers has planned a nationwide demonstration on Friday against the draft Road Transport and Safety Bill, 2014. The federation has said the proposed Bill will sound the death knell for State transport undertakings (STUs).

While a section of transport workers would participate in the ‘Delhi Chalo’ agitation on Friday, different transport trade unions would hold demonstrations across the country, including in Karnataka.

The KSRTC Staff and Workers Federation has urged its members to participate in the demonstration in the interest of the STUs. In an appeal, the federation said within seven months of coming to power, the Narendra Modi government was making all attempts to sell the wealth of the country to the private sector and the proposed Bill was one such attempt. Besides this, legislation on labour matters too were either being amended or scrapped, it said.

Federation View :  The proposed Bill, if enacted, would wipe out State transport undertakings and result in the monopoly of the private sector. Not only the industry would be hit, the public too would severely be affected by this move, the federation claimed. The quantum jump in punishments for road offences would ensure that no driver would be available in the future in the country, the appeal said.