HYDERABAD: Passengers across Telangana are likely to face inconvenience in peak summer as employees of the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TGSRTC) are set to go on an indefinite strike from May 7.
With over 40,600 employees set to boycott duties, buses may remain confined to depots from May 6.
The strike, led by the RTC Joint Action Committee (JAC) and supported by eight unions, is aimed at pushing for the resolution of 23 demands. Key concerns include safeguarding the corporation’s interests and completing its long-pending merger with the government.
The JAC issued a strike notice on January 27, citing unfulfilled promises from the Congress election manifesto. These include revision of salaries, payment of pending allowances since 2021, and clearance of dues from the 2017 revision to retired employees. The JAC also unveiled a strike-related poster.
It may be recalled that RTC employees had earlier gone on a 54-day strike during the BRS regime, pressing for 26 demands. Of these, only the merger proposal was accepted, while the rest were put on hold.
Speaking to TNIE, RTC JAC vice-chairman Thomas Reddy said, “The Congress promised to complete the merger of RTC with the state government and implement pay scales on par with government staff. However, after assuming office, it has not acted on these promises.”
He also called for the lifting of restrictions on trade unions and immediate implementation of wage hikes.
Thomas Reddy stated that despite issuing a strike notice in January, neither the government nor the corporation have initiated talks with the employees. He expressed concern over job losses due to the introduction of electric buses, which, he alleged, were maintained by private operators.
Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar, in a statement on Wednesday, had urged RTC employees to reconsider their decision to go on strike in view of the corporation’s financial situation and bank liabilities. He assured that the government remains committed to the welfare of TGSRTC’s 40,000 employee families.
Referring to the role of RTC in the separate Telangana movement, Prabhakar noted that employees were well aware of how the corporation has weakened over the past decade. He said the main demands have already reached Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and that the government was willing to address them.
“We have filled compassionate appointment vacancies, converted the RTC Tarnaka Hospital into a super-speciality hospital, released pending travel and dearness allowances, reduced provident fund arrears from Rs 1,562 crore to Rs 600 crore, and are procuring new buses,” Prabhakar recalled.