VIJAYAWADA: National Mazdoor Union (NMU) has written to Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy urging him to recognise Public Transport Department (PTD) employees as frontline warriors and provide insurance benefits of Rs 50 lakh to them.
In a press release issued here on Tuesday, union president N Ramana Reddy said over 9,200 out of 52,000 employees (nearly 18 per cent) had contracted Covid, and 240 succumbed to it.
“About 50 per cent of the workers in the RTC have not been vaccinated. As a result, more people are dying. Steps should be taken by the government in administering two doses of vaccine to the employees and their families.”
The union also demanded provision of benefits such as gratuity, terminal encashment and provident fund (PF) to the families of the deceased staff.