TGSRTC Employees To Go On Strike

The Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TGSRTC) employees, under the aegis of the RTC Joint Action Committee (JAC), today served a strike notice to the management, and presented a 21-point charter of demands, including the merger of the RTC with the State government, implementation of two Pay Revision Commissions, and payment of Rs 2,700 crore in pending CCS and PF arrears.

The committee said that their strike was not aimed at inconveniencing the public but at strengthening the organization to provide better services to commuters. However, the RTC employees would go on a strike from February 9 if their demands, many of which pertain to longstanding issues, were not addressed promptly.

The union leaders alleged that the government was attempting to privatize the RTC, and cited the outsourcing of electric bus operations to private firms as a prime example. They demanded that the government itself procure electric buses and reverse these privatization efforts.

The JAC is also pushing for the reinstatement of trade union elections, and reduction of working hours for employees.

"This is about ensuring job security, fair treatment and improved working conditions for employees," the JAC leaders said. They added that their salary revision demand had been pending since 2021. They also claimed that many retired employees were still awaiting payments for CCS, PF arrears and DA dues.

For the uninitiated, this marks the first major strike threat from the RTC in over five years. In 2019, nearly 50,000 RTC employees went on a 52-day strike, pressing for 26 demands, including the merger of RTC with the State government and job security. KCR did not budge, and the strike was then withdrawn. However, KCR then granted almost all their demands.