RTC staff says forced to support welfare council

Hyderabad: The TSRTC management claims that it has collected the signatures of 85 per cent of the staff in support of the welfare council that is proposed to replace the staff union. Workers, however, say they are being pressurised to sign up.

Some conductors said the management is not accepting the cash they collect from ticket sales if they don’t sign up for the welfare council. Recently, a group of conductors at the Picket depot protested and were exempted.

“Just because we protested we were exempted, but there are many conductors and drivers who are silently signing the papers to escape from the nuisance that the depot managers and other officials are creating. This is happening in several depots,” said a conductor.

Drivers are being told that their names will not be on the duty roster if they do not support the welfare council. “We don’t understand why we are being pressurised when the Chief Minister has given a choice. It has become mandatory at the depot level,” said a driver from the Mahbubnagar depot.

It is not clear how the welfare council will function. “The council has only two members. There are several leaders from various unions who help us,” asked another conductor from the Picket depot.Asked about this, a TSRTC official denied that there was any pressure on the employees. He said they could choose not to sign up.