Ten Left parties have decided to hold a meeting in support of the striking APSRTC employees in Vijayawada on Monday, besides holding a demonstration at the Mahatma Gandhi Bus Depot. Representatives of these parties will meet the Governor, E.S.L. Narasimhan, on Sunday to demand early solution to the problem.
At a meeting here on Saturday, representatives of CPI, CPI (M), RSP, Forward Block, CPI-ML (Liberation), SUCI, MCPI and CPI(ML), asked the government to immediately hold talks with the striking RTC employees instead of resorting to coercive measures. “The employees are justified in their demand for 43 per cent hike in salary,” said P. Madhu, State Secretary, CPI (M).
He told presspersons that a majority of the employees would get only Rs. 5,000 hike in salary and very few Rs. 12,000. He said the Left parties would also represent to the Governor on the plight of the Anganwadi workers in Andhra Pradesh. The Telangana government had given a wage hike of Rs. 2,000 to them and now they were getting pay packet of Rs. 4,200 a month.
The Anganwadi workers in Andhra Pradesh were justified in asking for a similar raise in their wages.
Chief Minister, N. Chandrababu Naidu, had promised to increase their wages in the Legislative Assembly in March. But so far nothing was done.
It was unfortunate that the government had terminated the services of 15 Anganwadi workers in Nellore district, Mr. Madhu said.
He further asked the government to take immediate steps to regularise the services of the contract and outsourced employees. “We want the Chief Minister to fulfil the assurance given by him to regularise their services,” Mr. Madhu said.
To hold a meeting in support of the striking employees in Vijayawada tomorrow
