HYDERABAD: The Telangana State Road Transport Corporation Joint Action Committee (TGSRTC JAC) and leaders of seven workers’ unions announced the postponement of the indefinite strike, scheduled to begin on Wednesday.
This comes after a delegation comprising CPI Telangana State Secretary and MLA Kunamneni Sambasiva Rao, MLC Kodandaram, RTC JAC and leaders of various RTC workers’ unions met Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar at the Secretariat on Tuesday to discuss pressing issues faced by the RTC employees.
The union leaders brought to the minister’s attention several long-standing grievances of the employees and requested the government’s intervention. Ponnam Prabhakar assured them that the government is committed to protecting RTC and appealed to the unions to defer their proposed strike, emphasising that the government values their contribution, especially during the Telangana movement.
“We consider RTC employees as part of our family. Since forming the government, not a single decision has been made against RTC,” said the minister. He assured that Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy would be briefed on the issues and discussions would be held in the cabinet before arriving at a decision.
It is reported that the discussions, which lasted for nearly three hours, included an extensive debate on the issue of RTC merger. Expressing optimism over the talks, RTC JAC chairman Eduru Venkanna and vice-chairman Thomas Reddy said that they have decided to postpone the strike temporarily considering the current situation in the country and give the government some time to resolve the issues.
“The minister assured us that the government intends to purchase electric buses and allocate them to the RTC. We also urged the implementation of regular compassionate appointments in RTC, similar to the policy followed in Singareni. The minister responded positively to this request. Additionally, there was a favourable response regarding the clearance of pending dues and salary revisions for retired employees,” they added.
According to sources, MLA Kunamneni Sambasiva Rao, MLC Kodandaram, Parigi MLA Rammohan Reddy and Devarakadra MLA Madhusudhan Reddy have taken the responsibility of bringing the demands of the RTC workers to the notice of the chief minister and their resolution.
The JAC and union leaders reiterated that they would announce a new date for the strike if their problems are not resolved.
It may be recalled that leaders from unions, including TMU general secretary Ashwaddhama Reddy, INTUC general secretary Raji Reddy, NMU general secretary Narender and STMU general secretary Punna Hari Krishna met the transport minister on Monday.
Government forms committee to address employee demands
In response to growing pressure from employee unions to resolve long-pending issues, the state government has constituted an officers’ committee to hold discussions with the unions and other stakeholders. Chief Secretary K Ramakrishna Rao issued orders to this effect on Tuesday. Navin Mittal, Principal Secretary of Revenue department, has been appointed as the chairperson of the committee.
Other members include Lokesh Kumar, secretary of Panchayat Raj and Rural Development department and Krishna Bhaskar, special secretary to the Deputy Chief Minister and CMD of TRANSCO. According to the orders, the committee will engage with recognised employee associations and other stakeholder groups to address welfare concerns and unresolved grievances. It has been tasked with identifying, categorising, and examining the pending issues, and submitting a consolidated report with specific and practical recommendations to the government.
The committee has been directed to meet regularly, maintain records of its discussions, and ensure transparency in its proceedings. The chief secretary instructed the committee to complete its deliberations and submit the report within seven days. The government, through the order, reiterated the crucial role of employees at all levels in implementing its programmes. “Representations have been received from employee associations regarding welfare measures and resolution of certain pending issues. To facilitate structured dialogue and arrive at informed recommendations, the government has constituted this committee,” the order stated.
