CPI(M) has announced its solidarity with the APSRTC staff who are on strike since Wednesday demanding 43 per cent fitment, as also with the agitating contract workers of the Telangana power utilities.
The party’s Telangana State Secretary Thammineni Veerabhadram termed the government’s stance during the deliberations with RTC employee unions as unjust.
“The government is asking if salaries are to be paid by selling off the corporation’s properties. Merely paying off government’s dues will suffice salary bills. They give away routes to private operators free of cost, but lament lack of resources when it comes to salaries,” Mr.Veerabhadram fumed, while speaking at a press conference here on Wednesday.
Describing it as arrogant attitude of the government, he condemned the RTC workers’ arrests and alleged attempts to bring in private operators to run the buses.
Promise not kept
Supporting the electricity contract employees’ agitation, Mr. Veerabhadram reminded that regularisation of services was promised as part of TRS election manifesto, and also separately on different occasions by the Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao.
Direct payment of salaries, the main demand by the striking JAC, is a simple one and can be easily implemented, he said. Mr. Veerabhadram also made demands for implementation of SC, ST reservations in private sector, and enactment of sub-plan for OBCs. A people’s struggle will be initiated soon by CPI(M) with these demands, he announced.
In another statement, he demanded for the arrested CPI(ML) Janashakti leader Koora Rajanna to be produced in Court, and treated in hospital for his ailment.