HYDERABAD: For the RTC employees, it has been a long ride from depression and now to new heights. A slew of benefits poured in from Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao after they called off their strike and joined duty.
Rao, after lunching with them at his official residence Pragathi Bhavan on Sunday made the announcement.
Benefits like:
In return, Rao sought from them hard work to fetch the corporation profits again, and if they did this, he would not hesitate to give them a bonus every year like in the case the workers of the Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL), even up to Rs 1 lakh per year to each of them.
In his long address after lunch, Rao in his inimitable style captivated the employees.
Lacing his speech with humour, he connected with them with effortless ease and at the same time sounded tough when it came to working diligently and sincerely to take the corporation forward. “What I want from you is hard work. Leave your needs to me. Do your job sincerely and get the RTC back into making profits,” he said.
Rao became the darling of the employees when he said he would not only pay their salaries for the month of September, but also for the strike period of October and November, which they had not expected.
As he made the announcement, the employees cheered, and a few even raised slogans in his support. “I will pay your September salary tomorrow (Monday) and salary for the strike period as a lump sum payment. Don’t waste money. Use it sparingly,” he advised them.
The chief minister also promised them complete job security, saying, “There is no way you could be removed from your job prematurely.”
No night shifts for women
To ensure the safety of women staff, they should be home by 8 pm, Rao said.
They will also get restrooms and changing rooms, child-care leave on a par with government employees, and will get to pick a new uniform for themselves.