The RTC Unions have announced that they would go on strike from the first hour of May 6 as their talks with the RTC management failed on Tuesday. Some 28,000 buses will gather dust in the depots as some 1.20 lakh RTC crew will be on strike.
Speaking to the media after the discussions with the RTC management, RTC Unions Employees Unions (EU) and Telangana Mazdoor Union (TMU) representatives announced that they would wait till late night and will go on strike in case the government fails to respond on their demands. The leaders also said they walked out from the discussion table as the management failed to give any assurance on their main demand that the government announce strike period pay to them on par with the government employees. They said the management told them that the corporation was not in a position to meet their main demand and asked them to give some more time. “We demanded that the management solve our problem today itself. But the management advised us to wait till the Cabinet Sub-Committee’s report on the issue”, they said.
The Union representatives said the management was not resolving their problems stating that the financial condition of the RTC was not good. The management assured 27 percent fitment but the Unions made it clear that they want 43 percent fitment on par with the government employees. The management asked the Union representatives to postpone strike till July; but the latter said “No”.
RTC officials discussed the issue with the Transport Minister P Mahender Reddy today. Later, RTC managing director Sambasiva Rao said the talks with the Unions were still going on. He said as the RTC was in financial stringency, they need more time to take a decision on the issue. “We are making alternative arrangements to see that the people will not be troubled with the Workers strike”, Sambasiva Rao said. It is learnt the management is arranging private lorry and bus drivers to run the RTC buses.
‘Bus fare hike only option to revise pay to crew’
RTC Managing Director Sambasiva Rao said bus charges will be increased if the Unions stuck to their demand for pay revision. The RTC has to increase up to 15 percent bus charges to meet the demand of RTC Unions. He said the RTC will be compelled to hike bus fares after bifurcation of the RTC. The RTC did not increase the fare for the last two years. He also said the RTC was ready to increase the fitment up to 27 percent which will cause Rs 800 crore additional burden on the Corporation. He said the management has agreed for 27 percent fitment even though the condition of the RTC was not good.
The MD made it clear that it was not possible for the management to announce 43 percent fitment as of now. The Corporation has to raise funds to fulfill the demands of the RTC workers. The Corporation would examine the demands of workers only after receiving report of Cabinet Sub-Committee. It is not proper to the RTC workers to go on strike before completion of the discussions and urged the workers not to go on strike. He said survival of the Corporation would be in danger if the workers went on strike. However, the management would make all-out efforts to prevent the strike. (NSS)