State Government Drivers to Call strike on June 2

Around 1.40 lakh drivers working with various state government departments will go on strike called by the State Government Employees' Union on June 2, demanding the implementation of Seventh Pay Commission recommendations. This would mean that on June 2 most of the government officers have to depend on their own vehicles or private cabs to reach offices. According to MN Venugopal, president, State Government Drivers' Association, around 1.40 lakh drivers working with various state government departments would take out the government vehicles from the garage on June 2. "We have already requested the outsourcing agencies not to outsource vehicles to the government officials on June 2. Any orders will be politely refused,'' Venugopal said. ‘Drivers in Tamil Nadu paid more’ The members of the State Government Drivers' Association have been demanding that the Karnataka State Government pay them salaries that is on par with the drivers of the neighbouring state governments. "There is a difference of Rs 8,000 between the drivers of Karnataka State Government and the Tamil Nadu State Government. We want the state government to consider our long-pending demand,'' said G Mani, vice president, State Government Drivers' Association. Demand for service regularisation Demanding that the government regularise services of drivers working on contract basis since 2000, Mani said that around 50 per cent of the drivers’ posts remain vacant for many years. “We want the state government to consider regularisation of the drivers working on a contract basis while filling up vacancies,’’ he said. The drivers’ association members have also extended support to the proposed strike by police on June 4 in support of their various demands such as salary, leave and overtime.