HYDERABAD: A silent discontent has been brewing amid the RTC workers as the management has now allegedly begun forcing them to sign certain documents.It is also alleged that these documents state they will not join any unions and instead prefer a workers’ committee in every depot. The management had started this signature collection drive last week when it was only a voluntary act. However, it is being stated that they are using various tactics to coerce the employees, by subtle threats of punishments, into singing them.
“They are threatening them with their jobs. Employees are being told that their jobs are not safe. They’re made to work overtime, and sometimes their duties have been cancelled abruptly to coerce them into rejecting unions,” noted Thomas Reddy, a JAC leader.The employees are also believed to be complying with the same in fear of retribution after the Chief Minister’s stance during the 52-day long strike.
“We are not keen on signing against the Union but we have to. We are constantly being reminded that we have been given our jobs back and we owe it to the government. They have already removed over-time and are also making us work for longer,” noted an employee.
The situation has turned so aggrieved that the panel has now called for collecting signatures of employees in retaliation to management’s signature driver. In this, they are asking the workers state that they want unions.