HYDERABAD: In what is being seen as a setback to the ongoing TSRTC employees’ strike, the Joint Action Committee of Government Employees’ Unions on Sunday washed its hands off extending support to the cause, contending that the RTC unions had not consulted them before going on a strike. Chairman of the JAC of Government Employees’ Unions Karem Ravinder Reddy said in a statement that they were under tremendous pressure from the TSTRC employees to extend solidarity for their cause and that the strike was being led by forces which tried to dilute the separate Telangana movement.
Interestingly, Ravinder Reddy’s statement comes days after Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao invited a delegation of the JAC to his official residence at Pragati Bhavan and promised to resolve all their demands. Clarifying why he had led a delegation to the chief minister, Ravinder Reddy said that since they had certain issues, they prepared a 16-point memorandum and presented it to him.
“But certain forces were trying to attribute motives to the meeting. They have no business to make such allegations,” he said, but pointed out that the demands of the TSRTC employees were genuine. “If the TSRTC JAC consults us, we will take their demands to the notice of the chief minister,” he said.
JAC Secretary General V Mamata said, “We met him (CM) after we were invited because there were several issues relating to employees pending resolution,” she said, adding that employees’ unions were part of the government. Though the RTC employees unions played a key role in Telangana agitation, they had not been in touch with the JAC of Government Employees’ Unions after formation of Telangana State, Mamata said.
Central Trade, Revenue unions extend support
Hyderabad: Central Trade Unions will take part in the state-wide
bandh called by the TSRTC employees’ JAC on October 19 during a meeting of the trade unions Sunday. Speaking to media after the meeting AITUC general secretary BS Bose stated that since over 48,000 RTC workers were dismissed without any reason, it has become the duty of the trade unions to support them. Meanwhile, the striking TSRTC employees also found support from Revenue employees’ associations and unions who demanded the government to immediately solve the RTC workers’ woes during a meeting of revenue employees’ associations and unions in Hyderabad on Sunday
Govt crippled by our unity: JAC leader
After CM KCR asked officials to ensure that RTC’s entire fleet is on the road in next few days, they got cracking by issuing a notification for staff recruitment, besides drivers and conductors. “Notification is proof that our unity has crippled the government. But instead of initiating talks, they’re putting public transport in inexperienced hands,” said Thomas Reddy, the TSRTC JAC co-convenor