The delay in the division of the Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) is apparently adding to the problems of its employees and workers.
The public road transport giant, the biggest of the 86 Corporations which belonged to the undivided AP, awaits division which is likely to get delayed if observations made by the Corporation’s top officials are any indication. The APSRTC Employees Union, which served a strike notice on December 24, is upset with the fact that the long-pending issues relating to the employees’ and workers’ welfare are being disregarded by the management.
“January 6 is the deadline given to the management to solve our problems failing which, we will go ahead with our proposed strike,” Y. Venkateswara Rao, deputy-secretary of the union told The Hindu on Tuesday.
The union insists on early bifurcation of the APSRTC. “The division must be taken up immediately. We have several problems which have been affecting the smooth functioning of the organisation. Now, we have two Ministers for one Corporation. We do not know whom to approach,” said Mr. Rao.
According to an agreement, the RTC management signed with the union leaders on September 10, it was to pay DA arrears for 2012, 2013 and 2014 and other dues. “The management has to pay dues worth Rs. 350 crore to the employees. Funds to the tune of Rs. 200 crore, collected under Cooperative Credit Society, Rs. 25 crore under Sibbandi Kutumba Sankshemam (Staff Family Welfare programme) and another Rs. 75 crore under Staff Retirement Benefit Scheme were diverted to meet other expenses,” he alleged. “By November-end, all dues should have been cleared. Contrary to its promise that it will not divert the CCI funds, the management has been doing it for the last three months,” said Mr. Rao.
Merger of RTC in the government is yet another issue the union is strongly demanding. “In the wake of the proposed Road Transport Safety Bill, it will be next to impossible for the RTC to survive on its own,” he said. Currently, the union leaders are going around the 12 regions in the 13 districts of AP to drum up support for the strike the date for which would be announced on January 4 or 5. “On January 7 and 8, we will stage relay fasts and demonstrations at RTC depots across the State,” said Mr. Rao.
