HYDERABAD: The Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (RTC) Joint Action Committee (JAC) on Monday announced an indefinite statewide strike from April 22, alleging prolonged government inaction on a range of pending demands. The strike will commence from the first duty after midnight on April 21.
The JAC stated that despite issuing a strike notice on March 13 following phased protests, neither the state government nor the RTC management responded meaningfully. “It has been nearly 30 days since the notice was served, but there has been no response from either the management or the government,” said JAC chairman Eduru Venkanna.
According to him, the RTC management recently sent a letter distancing itself from workers’ issues, stating that the demands fall under the jurisdiction of the state government. The move, the JAC alleged, reflects a lack of intent to resolve the crisis. “There is no seriousness on the part of either the management or the government to address workers’ problems,” he added.
The announcement comes just after Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar stated at a press conference that a committee has been formed to examine key issues, including the merger of RTC employees into government service and conducting union elections.
However, the JAC questioned the transparency of the committee, asking the government to disclose details such as its formation date, members and terms of reference.
JAC vice-chairman Thomas Reddy said the strike decision was taken based on the collective opinion of nearly 38,000 employees across all unions. He asserted that the agitation would be carried out with full strength if the government fails to act immediately.
The JAC clarified that their demands are not new but are based on promises made in the election manifesto.
Key demands include the merger of RTC employees into government service, conducting union elections, implementation of wage revision as per the 2021-25 pay revision cycle and others.
The JAC warned that if the government fails to initiate talks and resolve the issues, bus services across the state will come to a halt from the first trip on April 22.
On Monday, the leaders of RTC JAC held discussions with the labour commissioner. However, Thomas Reddy said that the TGSRTC management failed to attend the discussions, prompting the JAC to announce the strike from April 22. He made it clear that the agitation would continue until their issues are addressed, adding that there would be no retreat until a resolution is reached.
Earlier in the day, the transport minister stated that the government constituted a committee to examine two key issues. He said a decision would be taken in favour of the workers after receiving a comprehensive report from the panel.
The minister clarified that the panel has been set up to look into the merger of the RTC and union-related matters. He added that the government is prepared to resolve other pending issues as well. Urging restraint, Prabhakar appealed to RTC employees to think carefully and not act in haste.