Kolhapur: KMT workers' strike shuts down city's bus services

The Kolhapur Municipal Transport (KMT) employees have announced an open-ended strike beginning at 5 a.m. on Friday, citing multiple demands. When non-striking members of the union tried to remove some of the buses, the striking workers prevented their efforts, resulting in a complete shutdown of bus services in the city.

Despite the KMT Workers' Union employees calling for an open-ended strike in response to what they considered to be the employer's neglect of their demands, a few employees attempted to keep the KMT bus service running on Friday. However, the striking workers intercepted the buses at the Buddha Garden's main gate and verbally attacked the employees who were operating the buses, effectively thwarting their efforts.

On Friday, 66 buses operating in rural areas, including Kolhapur city, did not operate due to the ongoing strike, resulting in fewer transportation options for passengers, who had to rely on rickshaws. The strike was highly effective, as none of the KMT's employees showed up for work and the administration incurred significant financial losses. All staff members remained at the Buddha Garden all day, and not a single bus was operational, indicating that the strike had a 100% response rate.