'Citizens Have Right To Transportation': Karnataka High Court Extends Stay On Indefinite Strike By State Transport Unions

The Karnataka High Court on Thursday [May 21] extended its interim order restraining the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of various road transport trade unions from going on an indefinite strike, observing that citizens have a fundamental right to transportation and should not suffer because of the dispute between the unions and the corporations.“…. Citizens have a right to transportation. Both of you (trade unions & state) are fighting. They (citizens) should not be affected. We are not interfering with any of your[JAC] claims. You can agitate on that. Only on the strike are we concerned…That would affect a lot of people…”, the vacation bench of Justice Suraj Govind raj and Justice K.Manmadha Rao orally observed today.The Division Bench was hearing a public interest litigation preferred by C. Vedavathi, a housemaid, and Sreedhara H.V, a construction worker, challenging the imminent strike by stating that it would adversely affect 1.20 crore passengers travelling daily on the buses of the respective Corporations.“…Learned AAG submits that a meeting could be had with the Managing Directors of respective transport corporations. He further submits that conciliation proceedings are now scheduled on 25.05.2026 with the Labour Commissioner. The Managing Directors will also attend the said proceedings. Adv. Clifton Rozario for JAC submitted that if the Managing Directors were to attend the conciliation proceedings and take appropriate decisions, Respondent No.7(JAC) and its members would also participate in said conciliation proceedings…Relist on 2nd June”, the court noted in the order today.The court directed that the matter be relisted on June 2, 2026, and extended the interim order granted on May 19, 2026 till the next date of hearing.Today, the Additional Advocate General (AAG) appearing for the State iterated before the court that the government has already revised the employees' pay by 12.5% with effect from April 1, 2025, sanctioned Rs. 1,271.92 crores as the difference in wages, and disbursed Rs. 450 crores as the first instalment.The AAG further informed the court that conciliation proceedings between the unions and the Labour Commissioner are currently ongoing, with the next hearing scheduled for May 25, 2026. On the last date of hearing[May 19], it was simultaneously argued by the petitioners that any proposed strike in the meantime would violate Section 22(1)(d) of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947.For context, the unions in question consist of employees of Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC), the Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC), North Western Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (NWKRTC) and the Kalyana Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (KKRTC). As per the strike notice dated April 29, the unions were to go on indefinite strike from May 20.60% out of the daily commuters in buses, as per the petitioners, are women who travel free of cost under the Government of Karnataka's Shakti Scheme, who would be left with no other option, the plea states. The petitioners also point out the inconvenience the indefinite strike would cause students from rural areas who rely on public transport to attend their SSLC supplementary exams [May 18-May 25].The daily wage workers, hence, had prayed for the relief of granting a writ of mandamus, restraining the trade unions from proceeding with the indefinite strike, and appropriate directions to the state for preventing the strike and ensuring uninterrupted access to public transport.Against this background, after hearing the JAC, State and the Road Transport Corporations today, the court directed that all four Managing Directors of the transport corporations -KSRTC, BMTC, NWKRTC and KKRTC - along with other concerned officers, shall attend the conciliation proceedings.When the Corporations' counsel intervened and submitted that only responsible officers would attend and not necessarily the Managing Directors, the court remarked:" On May 25th, are your Managing Directors attending the meeting or not? It's for you to decide."The KSRTC counsel then submitted that they would ensure compliance with the court's direction."If conciliation is successful, there is a trajectory to it. If it's not successful, there is another trajectory to it…”, the court remarked further orally before parting.Case Title: C. Vedavathi & Anr. v. State of Karnataka & Ors.Case No: WP 15683/2026

'Citizens Have Right To Transportation': Karnataka High Court Extends Stay On Indefinite Strike By State Transport Unions

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'Citizens Have Right To Transportation': Karnataka High Court Extends Stay On Indefinite Strike By State Transport Unions

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