Intuc chief slams K Chandrasekhar Rao on trade union issue

Hyderabad: G. Sanjeeva Reddy, president of the Indian National Trade Union Congress (Intuc), on Saturday condemned Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao for his stand on trade unions during the TSRTC employees’ strike. Speaking to mediapersons, Reddy said that Mr Rao was acting against the Constitution by refusing to negotiate with employee unions. He said that he and other Intuc office-bearers would meet him to present their views within a week.

“KCR told openly that he won’t allow employee unions. What does that mean? Does he want to ignore organisations that have been registered using legal provisions? Is it proper for a Chief Minister to talk about breaking the law,” asked Reddy. Mr Reddy also criticised Mr Rao for saying that he would meet employees from each depot personally. “KCR has said he will meet employees from each depot personally and enquire into their problems. How is this tenable? Can he meet all 57,000 employees and address their problems personally? He should instead meet the employees’ representatives in the form of unions,” he said. Mr Reddy said Mr Rao’s attitude seemed to be that of a benevolent dictator and not that of a democratically elected representative. “Even the Nizam used to say there was no need for an Assembly or Parliament. ‘Come to me, I will solve your problems,’ he told people. This is exactly what KCR is doing today,” he said.