A marathon five-and-a-half-hour discussions between the management of the Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation and representatives of the recognised APSRTC Employees Union ended on a conducive note.
Another round of talks is scheduled with the Labour department on Wednesday. However, general secretary (in charge) of the union P. Damodar Rao said they would go on a day’s hunger strike before the 123 depots and four zonal workshops across the 13 districts of A.P. Notice to this effect was served on the management on December 24.
An estimated 65,000 employees of the Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation in the 13 districts of AP are expected to go on an indefinite strike soon if their long-pending demands were not met. Office-bearers of the recognised union including president Ch. Chandrasekhar Reddy and Mr. Damodar Rao were on Tuesday closeted with Executive Directors A. Venkateswara Rao, M. Ravinder, G. Jaya Rao, Koteswara Rao, apart from the Financial Controller Bhuvaneswar Prasad and Chief Personnel Manager Venu. The employees want action on the non-compliance with points agreed upon in the settlement reached between the Union and management on September 11. Prime among the demands are immediate steps to bifurcate the corporation in tune with the provisions of the A.P. Re-Organisation Act and implementation of all the points negotiated in the agreement, including release of dearness allowance (DA) arrears.
