Employees damage buses at Vijayawada and Kothagudem on Saturday
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Hyderabad: The RTC strike turned violent on day four with employees damaging buses at Vijayawada and Kothagudem on Saturday. RTC unions refused to hold talks saying that there was a conspiracy to privatise the RTC and said they will intensify protests.
The stalemate continues as no fresh attempts were made by either the RTC management or the government to hold discussions. Meanwhile, the RTC management has announced the regularisation of services of 70 contract employees at Anantapur and 50 at Kurnool.
In Khammam, the striking employees damaged the wind screens of three buses when contract drivers tried to operate them. A contract driver was injured in the incident. At other bus depots, the employees cooked food before bus depots to register their protest. In Greater Hyderabad limits, 204 buses were operated.
The union leaders said that the transport minister has made no attempts to resolve the issue in the last four days. APSRTC managing director N. Sambasiva Rao had walked out of the talks on Friday saying that the unions were in no mood to talk. He also turned down the possibility of talks. But later in the evening the AP Cabinet sub-committee invited the unions for a fresh round of talks on Sunday.
"We have not seen the face of the transport minister in the last four days of the strike. There are no attempts to resolve the issue," said RTC TMU union leader, Ashwathama Reddy.
Meanwhile, SCR chipped in with more MMTS trains and special trains to various destinations to clear the huge crowds at railway stations. The Railways operated six DEMUs on Nizamabad-Kacheguda and Miryalaguda-Malkajgiri routes on Saturday. Later in the evening the AP Cabinet sub-committee invited the unions for a fresh round of talks on Sunday.
Join duties, HC tells RTC staff:
Mr C.V. Mohan Reddy, former advocate general, appearing for Mr Venkat Rao, urged the HC to intervene in the matter in the interests of the public. Mr P.V. Krishnaiah, advocate, appearing for G. Mohammad Ghouse from Chittoor, said the RTC employees' demands were justified but it was not proper to go on strike as the people are put to inconvenience.
RTC counsel told the bench that the despite finacial constraints the corporation had offered to pay 27 per cent fitment. Making it clear that fitment was a policy decision of the government and that the court cannot intervene, the bench directed the employees to join duties immediately.
While posting the matter to May 12 for further hearing, the bench ordered notices to the employees unions. RTC unions decided to defy the interim orders stating they had not received a copy of the order.
Telangana Mazdoor Union leader K. Padmakar said "We have not received the order so far. The strike is definitely on. We will take a decision on the issue only after we receive the order. The court has also postponed the decision till May 12, so the strike is definitely on till that day at least, following which a decision will be taken." Mr Krishnaiah said defying the court order would attract action under the Contempt of Courts Act.
He recalled that the junior doctors had ultimately obeyed the court order and resumed duties when the court cautioned them of action under the Contempt of Courts Act.
( Source : dc correspondent )
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