Govt Fulfilling All Promises of RTC Workers: Ponnam
Approximately 30 representatives from each union engaged in detailed discussions for 14 hours and arrived at unanimous decisions with everyone's approval: Minister recalls
Hyderabad: Transport and BC Welfare Minister Ponnam Prabhakar has clarified that the government is implementing every promise made to RTC workers. He stated that it is regrettable that some leaders of worker unions were distorting facts and attempting to mislead the workers and the public.
He recalled that RTC union leaders and the Ministers under the leadership of Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka held discussions. Approximately 30 representatives from each union engaged in detailed discussions for 14 hours and arrived at unanimous decisions with everyone's approval, the minister reminded.
In the meeting, it was decided that out of a total of 32 demands, 29 issues fall under the RTC management's purview, while three are under the government's purview. He informed that actions have already been taken through the committee to resolve the 29 issues under the management's purview.
The three key issues under the government's purview are the elections for RTC recognition unions, the 2021 PRC, and the merger of RTC with the government. Regarding the PRC, he stated that the government announced an 11 per cent increase will come into effect starting from July salaries.
He said it is not right that the first demand of RTC workers was the elections for recognition of unions, and now they are changing their tune to mislead the public and workers. In connection with the merger, the Minister noted that workers unanimously decided in the meeting that worker representatives must necessarily be included in the committees forming the policies.
However, if the worker leaders in those committees are to be from recognized unions, the decision to first conduct the elections for recognized unions was taken in the presence of everyone, he revealed.
As part of this, the government has already initiated the process for recognition of union elections and appointed Labour Joint Commissioner Sunita as the nodal officer for the elections, he informed. The election schedule will be released, and the verification process is underway to conduct the recognition union elections soon, he said.
To protect the interests of the workers, the government is following the process of first conducting the recognition union elections and including representatives from that union in the merger committees, he stated.
Prabhakar said it is not right for some worker union leaders to act in a way that prevents the recognition of union elections from happening and also makes the merger process controversial. He appealed to the workers to recognize the facts, as the government is working with a pure heart to fulfill every promise it has made, and not to believe false propaganda.
The Congress government, which stands by its word, intends to include worker leaders from the recognition union in the committee to formulate merger policies so that no troubles arise in the future regarding the merger process, he added.
