Government Announces DA; RTC Unions Firm on Strike

 Hyderabad: The government’s announcement of 2.5 per cent DA to TGSRTC employees, notwithstanding, the seven unions are set to go ahead with their strike in keeping with the notice they had served on January 21.

Meanwhile, the DA implementation will add a Rs 3.6 crore additional burden on the corporation every month as it will benefit approximately 41,000 employees.

The unions have threatened to go ahead with the stir if all their 23 demands are not met.

Transport minister Ponnam Prabhakar, who announced the DA revision on Thursday, said the state government “will bring 150 buses to RTC on rental basis through self-help women groups. In the next phase, 450 buses will be added.”

Meanwhile, although the unions were called for talks by the labour commissioner, the meeting was called off because of the MLC election code that was in place.

Many unions told Deccan Chronicle on Friday, “The RTC JAC, served the extension notice of strike to the labour commissioner. We will go on strike if our 23 demands are not fulfilled. There are no attempts from the management side to hold talks with us.”

A leader said “We want the Congress government to honour its manifesto promises-merger of TGSRTC into the government, payment of two pending two PRCs that is on par with what is paid to state government employees, among others.”

Meanwhile, the JAC is awaiting a word from the labour commissioner regarding the deferred meeting.