HYDERABAD: The State government’s act of issuing a notification for the constitution of a new RTC Board but not including any union representative in the first panel has raised eyebrows. Some feel that this once again gives a clear indication that the government does not want to recognise any of the unions.
The new panel comprises directors who include chairman Bajireddy Goverdhan and MD VC Sajjanar. Other directors include higher officials (not less than secretary level) from Transport, Finance and Labour Departments, Union government’s representative, Transport Commissioner, Engineer-in-Chief or Chief Engineer of R&B (Roads) and the GHMC Commissioner.
A storm is brewing among the staff after it came to light that the State government, in its notification issued on November 9, had ignored the unions. Since reports of mass transfers and problems faced by staff have surfaced, particularly in view of the closure of some depots in the city, the staff members’ chorus of making their voices heard is increasing.
“The government should have included a couple of union leaders in the Board, as they represent employees, and this would have provided an opportunity to highlight their plight,” said TSRTC Mazdoor Union president K Hanumanth.
Prior to bifurcation, there would be at least one union leader in the panel. Besides, the non-inclusion of executive directors (ED) from within the RTC has concerned the employees further. “It is unfortunate that in the Board which was constituted for the first time in Telangana, there are no political representatives besides the chairman and no EDs,” said VS Rao from the Staff and Workers Federation (SWF).
According to Rao, technically there is no scope for inclusion of union leaders, as the State government has maintained (without any written order) since the 2019 strike that it would not recognise any union. “TMU was the last union to be recognised by the government. The notification clearly indicates that the government has decided to do away with unions,” he added. However, others felt that it was up to the government’s discretion to include unions.