The Karnataka High Court has issued a one-day stay on the indefinite strike called by KSRTC and BMTC employees from Tuesday, 5 August, for a salary revision and other demands. The Joint Action Committee of Transport Employees of Karnataka has called for an indefinite strike from 5 August 2025.
It was a division bench of Justice K. S. Mudagal and Justice M. G. S. Kamal that stayed the strike for a day. The petition reportedly sought a stay on the indefinite strike by the Transport Employees' Union Action Committee, which was in violation of the orders issued under the Karnataka Essential Services Management Act and the Industrial Disputes Act, to protect public order and the rights of passengers.
During the hearing, the Chief Minister's mediation meeting with the lawyers representing the transport corporations and the leaders of the transport employees' organisations was underway. Therefore, they requested that the strike be postponed. Taking note of this, the bench stayed the strike for a day and adjourned the hearing. However, the union workers later confirmed that the talks with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah failed to yield any results.
Private bus services to the rescue?
Meanwhile, the state government claimed that if buses do not run from tomorrow, alternative arrangements will be made to ensure that daily commuters are not affected. The strategy includes reaching out to private bus operators and temporarily hiring private auto, taxi, and minibus services for public use. While some private operators have reacted positively to the government's proposal, they have come up with a set of demands of their own, which includes a 15-day road tax exemption, according to a report by Good Returns.
They also expect a 60:40 phased carriage permit allocation policy, a 50% discount on digital surveillance audit fines, and strict action to prevent government buses from bending laws to run on private routes, the report added.
In addition, IT companies have been requested to approve 'work from home' (WFH) from 5 August to avoid disruption to traffic in Bengaluru, local media reports said. Districts like Shivamogga, Udupi, and Mangaluru, with sufficient private bus services, are highly unlikely to be affected by the strike. In Uttara Kannada, KSRTC workers have decided against going on strike.