However, union leaders on Saturday expressed frustration over the lack of follow-up. “It has been 20 days and no meeting has been initiated.
Hyderabad: Nearly three weeks after deferring their proposed strike on government assurance, unrest is brewing again among the trade unions of TGSRTC. The joint action committee (JAC), which had planned to launch a strike on May 7, withdrew the call following talks with transport minister Ponnam Prabhakar on May 6. At the time, the minister and mediators promised that discussions would soon begin and reasonable demands would be addressed.
However, union leaders on Saturday expressed frustration over the lack of follow-up. “It has been 20 days and no meeting has been initiated. While the government talks of dialogue, the management is implementing policies that go against employees’ interests,” they alleged. One such move is the circulation of notices for a Welfare Board meeting, even though one of the union’s primary demands is to abolish these boards.
Thomas Reddy of the TGSRTC JAC said, “The government shows no urgency in resolving our 23 demands. We are hoping for a favourable response by June 2, Telangana Formation Day. If not, we may have no option but to proceed with our strike.” The unions warned that a strike in early June would disrupt transport for lakhs, especially as schools and colleges reopen.
They are demanding the abolition of welfare boards, reinstatement of trade unions, regularisation of employees under the Breadwinner Scheme, clearance of retired employees’ pending benefits and that the corporation purchase electric buses instead of hiring them. The pending implementation of two Pay Revision Commissions and two Dearness Allowances is also among their key concerns.
