HYDERABAD: The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) will go on strike any time after December 12, if their 17 demands are not addressed by the State government.
JAC members today served a strike notice to the office of APSRTC Managing Director SSP Yadav. The MD was not present in the office at that time.
In a press release, JAC convener K Padmakar said the RTC management had not yet implemented pay revision to the staff due from April 1, 2009. At least it should think of giving 22 per cent interim revision on par with the State government employees, he added.
Regularisation of the services of 20,000 contract employees and adhering to the State government’s promise, made in 2005, of not hiring private buses were among their other demands.
The National Mazdoor Union (NMU), the recognised union of the APSRTC, will serve strike notice tomorrow.
If both unions go on strike, nearly 20,000 buses in the State will be off the road.
Meanwhile, the strained relations between the JAC and the NMU came to the fore today with the former alleging that `in the past, whenever the NMU initiated strike, its office-bearers came to a secret understanding with the management and put the interests of the workers at stake by not divulging the details.’ NMU’s criticism of JAC was not acceptable, the JAC said.
