RTC Asks Staff To Call Off Strike By May 7 Noon

Making it very clear that it will not be able to pay a fitment allowance of 43%, the management of the Road Transport Corporation appealed to the employees to call off their indefinite strike by Thursday noon.

Speaking to media persons, RTC Managing Director N Sambasiva Rao and Joint MD Ramana said that the management did not intend to use ESMA against the employees who went on strike since Tuesday midnight. They also said that alternate arrangements were being made to minimise the inconvenience being caused to passengers in view of the strike.

He asked the nearly 6,000 contract employees to rejoin duty by Thursday noon to avoid termination.

He assured them that 30% of the permanent jobs would be reserved for those contract employees who worked during the strike period.

Sambasiva Rao said that the RTC's current losses stood at nearly Rs 560 crores. The losses would increase further if the employees did not end their strike immediately.

He said that the management had already offered to pay a 27% fitment allowance by increasing the bus fares by 15-20%.

He urged the employees to represent their issues before the Cabinet Sub-Committee.

He said that both the Andhra Pradesh and the Telangana governments were quite serious on resolving the issues being faced by the employees, and that a solution would be worked out through negotiations.

The RTC MD said that some alternate arrangements were being made to ensure the transportation of students appearing for EAMCET on May 8. He also appealed to the parents and students to make their own arrangements in view of the ongoing strike.

He warned of stern action against those who indulged in attacks on RTC property and the staff working during the strike period. (INN)