The joint trade union action committee said services would be withdrawn from midnight on November 11 until midnight on November 12. The protest follows unsuccessful representations to the state government and transport authorities seeking a revision of existing fare rates.
The unions want the minimum auto-rickshaw fare raised from Rs 30 to Rs 50, arguing that earnings have failed to keep pace with operating expenses. They cite higher fuel costs, insurance premiums, vehicle maintenance charges and statutory fees as pressures on drivers and vehicle owners.
The proposed stoppage could affect commuters travelling to workplaces, educational institutions, hospitals, railway stations and bus terminals. The scale of disruption will depend on participation by individual drivers and operators, and no reliable statewide estimate of vehicles expected to remain off the roads has been announced.
Organisers have described the one-day stoppage as a warning to the government. They have also threatened an indefinite strike if their demands remain unresolved, although no date has been announced for any further industrial action.
The joint committee has already submitted a strike notice to the government. Its representatives maintain that repeated requests for talks have produced no satisfactory response, prompting unions representing different sections of the motor transport workforce to coordinate their protest.
The unions say fuel prices have increased on 16 occasions over the past four and a half years, while fares have remained unchanged despite mounting expenses. That figure is the unions’ assessment rather than an independently established count covering every fuel category and pricing period.
They also contend that higher insurance premiums and the cost of replacement parts have reduced the amount drivers retain after meeting daily expenses. For drivers dependent on passenger receipts, the unions argue, fixed fares leave limited scope to recover additional costs without working longer hours.
Union representatives say they sought a fare revision from the previous administration in February, addressing a representation to then Transport Minister K B Ganesh Kumar. They allege that the request did not lead to substantive discussions or a decision on their demands.
A separate representation was submitted to the Transport Commissioner, according to the organisers. They say the absence of favourable action from the department reinforced their decision to proceed with the statewide stoppage.
The unions have pointed to fare structures in neighbouring states, including Tamil Nadu, to support their case for a higher minimum charge. Their proposed Rs 50 starting fare would represent an increase of Rs 20, or approximately 67 per cent, over Kerala’s existing Rs 30 minimum.
That demand concerns the starting charge rather than an announced revision to every component of the fare schedule. Details of any proposed changes to distance-based charges, waiting charges or taxi tariffs have not been set out consistently in the available union statements.
The government has not announced an agreement to revise fares ahead of the proposed stoppage. Nor has a confirmed settlement or withdrawal of the strike call been communicated by the organisers. Commuters therefore face uncertainty over the availability of vehicles throughout Thursday.
Several unions are participating in the joint mobilisation, including organisations affiliated with CITU, AITUC, BMS, HMS and other labour groups. Their coordination brings together workers from different political and organisational backgrounds around the shared demand for revised passenger fares.
(The article ‘Auto, taxi unions go on strike’ appeared first on Free Press Journal.)
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