Nudge to resolve RTC staff strike
There appears to be some hope that the ongoing two-week long strike by the state-owned Road Transport Corporation (RTC) staff will be resolved, with the Telangana High Court directing the state government to start negotiations to arrive at a solution by October 18. As the court rightly observed, at the end of the day, it is the commuters who suffer, the case since October 5—the day the RTC staff went on strike, crippling public transport in Telangana.
While trade unions demanded that the entire 50,000 workmen belonging to the RTC be absorbed by the state government, a panel appointed by the latter rejected it. Without going into the merits of the issue, union representatives ought to have given the government more time to address their demand. For, it would require a major policy change, as it would expose the government to copycat demands. Also, a section of policy wonks will question the need for the government to enter the road transport sector, a purely commercial operation.
On the flip side, the government was lukewarm when the trade unions served notice a month before they struck work. In fact, it set up the talks panel just three days before the scheduled agitation. Holding the employees responsible for huge losses is untenable as the state-appointed administrators must take the blame for running RTC to the ground. And it cannot be denied that RTC employees get far less wages compared to state government employees. The state has also not appointed a full-fledged managing director for the RTC in the last 16 months. In the face of such indifference, the government’s argument that it is concerned about the health of the corporation and employees does not hold water.
For the government to say that all those who went on strike “self dismissed” themselves is unlikely to stand legal scrutiny as striking work with adequate notice forms part of the fundamental rights of any employee. One hopes wiser counsel prevails on both sides. Providing public transport is a fundamental obligation of the government and it cannot shy away from it.