Hyderabad: TS RTC Joint Action Committee has served strike notice to the Telangana State RTC management on Friday. The RTC JAC has warned in the notice that it will intensify its movement in case the state government failed to implement their demands on or before September 24.
The JAC demanded the state government to merge the RTC in the state government or provide job security. The JAC said that they would stage dharnas before the depots on September 23 and 24. JAC made it clear that it will intensify its movement in case it failed to respond on or before September 24.
The TS RTC JAC convener Ashwathama Reddy has said after serving the notice that the state government weakened the RTC. The Andhra Pradesh government merged RTC in the government. On the other hand, the Telangana State government failed to fulfill the assurances given by the Cabinet Sub-committee.
He said that all unions have decided to wage the movement against the government demanding it to run the cor- poration irrespective of benefits and losses. He said that the state government appointed a committee in 2013 to study the merger of RTC in government.
The RTC unions went to Haryana and Punjab and submitted a report to the government on merger of RTC into government.
JAC co-convener Raji Reddy called upon all RTC unions to come forward to wage movement unitedly. He warned that the government has to own the responsibility if strike is inevitable. The unions would take up agitations during lunch hours on September 23 and 24.
“We will attend the discussions with the Labour Department on September 23″, he said.
Another co-convener VS Rao said that the government has to give Rs 3000 crore to the government. The RTC is paying Rs 3.6 crore in the form of taxes to the government. He demanded the government to give subsidies to the RTC while abolishing taxes to the RTC.
Supervisors Association leader Vasu said that they will extend their support to the JAC strike. The government has to give Rs 530 crore to RTC for subsidy passes. The government has to pay a total of Rs 2,200 crore to RTC but it is not clearing it.
JAC co-convener Thomas Reddy alleged that government was the reason for the RTC losses. The government is not reducing the prices of diesel and MV Tax. The Andhra Pradesh government stood on its word and merged RTC into government.