Hyderabad, Feb 7 With Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TGSRTC) employees deciding to go on strike on February 9 or any day after that to press for their demands, the state government has invited employees’ unions for talks.
The Labour Commissioner on Friday invited TGSRTC management and the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the employees’ unions for talks on February 10.
The official said the talks would be aimed at resolving the issues related to the demands made by the JAC.
The JAC on January 27 served a strike notice on the management while pressing for 21 demands, including its merger with the state government first proposed through a government order in 2013.
It demanded the management take expedited measures to fulfil the promises made to RTC employees in the election manifesto, revision of salaries and allowances pending since 2021, and payment of dues from the 2017 revision to retired employees. They also called for recruitment that was stopped a decade ago.
The JAC presented the list of demands along with the strike notice to TGSRTC Executive Director Muni Sekhar.
The employees’ unions also demanded that RTC should buy electric buses and operate them as opposed to the current practice of contract, operations, and maintenance by private players.
The JAC brought to the notice of the management that the employees face work-related harassment and insecurities. Financial stress and work burden have also taken a toll on drivers, it said.
The employees’ unions also urged the state government to issue smart cards to eligible women for free bus rides under the Mahalakshmi scheme instead of zero tickets. They said the management should increase the number of buses to meet the increased passenger demand.
Revocation of cases filed against employees who participated in protests during the 2019 RTC strike was also among the demands made by the JAC.
They wanted the government to allocate 3 per cent of the funds in the Budget for RTC’s development.
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