Employees of the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) on Sunday decided to go on indefinite strike from October 5 to press for their demands, the main being the merger of the unit with the government.
The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of various employee unions said they were forced to go on strike by the “unhelpful attitude” of the state government, which failed to address the long-pending demands even after being served the strike notice.
The unions want the TSRTC to be merged with the government. The demand cropped up after the loss-making Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) was merged with the government in the neighbouring state early this month.
Beside the merger, the TSRTC employees unions are demanding pay revision, job security, payment of dues by the government and filling up of vacancies.
The unions, which claim to represent about a lakh employees, half of them working on contract basis, also demanded an increase in the bus fleet.
The union leaders alleged that there is tremendous work pressure on the employees as they were being forced to do “double duty”. They said not even one new employee was recruited in the TSRTC during last five years.
Telangana Mazdoor Union (TMU) General Secretary Ashwathama Reddy said they were demanding that the government fulfill the assurances given by a cabinet sub-committee last year. He alleged that the government is not even coming forward to discuss their issues.
He said if the government failed to respond to their demands in next six days, they would be left with no option but to go on strike.
The union leaders said the government would be responsible for the hardships to be faced by the people due to the strike during Dussehra holidays.
They pointed out that the government has not paid dues running up to Rs 1,000 crore to the TSRTC. According to them, the losses of the corporation mounted to Rs 3,380 crore.
The proposal to merge the APSRTC with the government was mooted in 2013 in the then undivided Andhra Pradesh.
Fulfilling his poll promise, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy earlier this month approved the merger of the APSRTC with the government.
