Defying the Karnataka High Court’s interim order to defer their proposed strike, the Joint Action Committee of Road Transport Corporation Workers' Unions began a state-wide strike on Tuesday (August 5), causing major disruptions across Karnataka.

The strike, called by unions, for settlement of long-pending demands for wage revision and payment of 38 months’ salary arrears, went ahead despite the court’s direction on Monday (August 4) to postpone the protest until further hearing. The court issued this interim order in response to a petition filed by concerned citizens, citing public inconvenience.

Despite the government's prohibitory notification under the Karnataka Essential Services Maintenance Act, published on August 3, the unions maintained their decision to strike, citing unresolved grievances.

The division bench of Justice K.S. Mudgal and Justice M.G.S. Kamal, issued notices to the state and transport corporations, noting that talks with the Chief Minister and the transport department were still ongoing.

The unions had earlier written to the Chief Minister on July 15, indicating their intent to strike. The counsel for the transport corporations reminded the court of a similar strike in 2020, which had been halted by judicial intervention, and warned that accepting the unions’ demands retroactively from 2020 could impose a ₹2,000 crore burden on the state.

Ongoing conciliation proceedings before the labour court are scheduled for a hearing on August 7.

With over 1.1 crore commuters depending on state-run buses—40 lakh in Bengaluru alone—the strike has had a far-reaching impact. Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) MD, Akram Pasha confirmed the enforcement of a ‘no work, no pay’ policy, while Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) MD, R. Ramachandran, urged employees to stay on duty, emphasizing transport as an essential service.