VIJAYAWADA: Employees unions of the APSRTC are gearing up for the union polls scheduled for August 9. Elaborate arrangements are being made by the labour department to conduct the elections in a peaceful manner at 128 bus depots across the State.
In a bid to drum up support from the workers, the leaders of major unions--National Mazdoor Union (NMU) and Employees Union (EU)--on Sunday campaigned vigorously at various parts of the State and listed out their manifesto to be implemented if they were elected as recognised union of the Corporation. Though eight unions are contesting the election, the NMU, EU and Staff and Workers Federation (SWF) are key players.
Elections for the recognised union in the corporation were conducted in February 2016 for the first time, in which the NMU emerged victorious with a margin of 709 votes. Aiming victory for the second consecutive turn, the NMU has drafted a manifesto with 64 provisions while the opposition EU made 84 provisions in their manifesto. Interestingly, both the unions are firm on merging the Corporation with the State government to help the body that is incurring heavy losses.
When contacted, P Damodar, additional general secretary of the EU, alleged the NMU has failed in holding discussions with the government over the recent announcement of 19 per cent interim relief to the RTC employees.
Listing out what he called ‘a long list of achievements of the EU’, Damodar said his union has achieved 43 percent fitment to the workers for the first time in the history of the Corporation.