TGSRTC Strike from Midnight as Govt Talks Fail
The strike is set to affect nearly 60 lakh passengers daily, including around 40 lakh women passengers.
Hyderabad: TGSRTC will go off the roads across the state from Wednesday, with employees and workers’ unions under a joint action committee (JAC) beginning their statewide indefinite strike beginning midnight Tuesday. The decision was taken after four hours of talks between the state government and JAC leaders on Tuesday failed to yield any breakthrough on the long-pending 32 demands raised by the unions.
Union leaders said the government failed to provide assurance on even one out of their 32 demands. The JAC reiterated that their demands were not new, but long-standing issues, many of which were included in the Congress party’s election manifesto. They said that despite serving a strike notice on March 13, it took 41 days for the government to invite them for discussions, and that too hours before the deadline.
The JAC demanded immediate implementation of promises made to RTC workers, including merger of the corporation with the state government, provision of government pay scales and job security to staff, starting recruitments, conduct of union elections, and handing over of electric buses to RTC. They also insisted that RTC operations, including buses, should remain under the corporation.
The JAC rejected the government’s proposal to constitute a high-level committee and four weeks to resolve the issues. The committee, formed earlier on Tuesday, comprises senior IAS officials including the special chief secretary (transport and roads & buildings) as chairperson, along with the special chief secretary (labour, employment, training and factories), the principal secretary (finance), and vice-chairman and managing director of the TGSRTC. The panel has been tasked with examining all issues and submitting a report within four weeks.
JAC leaders termed the formation of the committee as a mere delaying tactic. RTC JAC chairman E. Venkanna alleged that the government was wasting time in the name of committees and said the unions were left with no option but to go on strike. Vice-chairman Thomas Reddy said their demands were longstanding and based on assurances made in the manifesto, stressing that they were not seeking anything new.
Leaders stated that the government did not fully consider their demands and merely heard them out without offering any commitment. They made it clear that there would be no question of calling off the strike without a firm guarantee. Organising secretary Kamalakar Goud said the government delegation neither responded nor assured anything, but only sought four weeks, which the unions rejected outright.
The JAC asserted that the strike would continue indefinitely from midnight Tuesday and that they would not bow to any pressure. They also recalled that their recent protest in February, including a “Chalo Assembly” call at Dharna Chowk, had already highlighted their grievances, which remain unresolved.
TGSRTC MD appeals to unions to report to duties, govt ready to resolve demands in 4-weeks
The TGRTC management on Tuesday appealed to workers and employees to call off their strike and report to duty on Wednesday, keeping in mind the interests of the corporation and the commuting public. The management stated that the state government had taken a positive view towards addressing the employees’ demands and is prepared to resolve the issues in a phased manner.
In a media statement issued late on Tuesday after talks with unions failed, TGSRTC managing director Y. Nagi Reddy said the government had responded very positively to the concerns raised by RTC workers. He pointed out that the government had constituted a special committee comprising senior IAS officers to comprehensively examine the workers’ demands, and that the panel had also held discussions with representatives of trade unions earlier in the day.
Nagi Reddy explained that several of the demands raised by the unions involve significant financial implications for both the government and the corporation, as well as complex policy issues, and therefore require careful examination. In this context, the government has sought at least four weeks’ time to study the demands in depth and arrive at appropriate solutions. He reiterated that the government is committed to resolving the issues in a phased and systematic manner.
At the same time, the managing director expressed strong objection to certain unions calling for a strike despite the government’s positive approach. He alleged that some unions were disregarding the facts and misleading workers by pushing for agitation. He appealed to employees not to fall prey to such provocations and instead cooperate with the government’s efforts.
Emphasising the responsibility of RTC staff, Nagi Reddy said that every employee has a duty to ensure that public services are not disrupted, particularly for daily wage earners, small-scale workers, and members of the general public who depend heavily on RTC services for their daily commute. He urged all employees to act responsibly, report for duty, and ensure that no hardship is caused to passengers.
