The Telangana Mazdoor Union (TMU), recognised workers’ union of the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC), has served a strike notice on the management, demanding pay revision commission and improvement in working conditions.
The strike may begin any day after May 21, before expiry of 41 days’ period till when the notice is valid, if the government does not initiate the process of negotiations by then, working president of TMU M. Thomas Reddy said.
A large group of workers also conducted a demonstration in front of the Bus Bhavan, which houses the corporate office of the TSRTC, on Monday under the TMU banner. Though the demands had been due for a long time, and agitation was conducted in various forms, neither the Transport Minister nor the Managing Director of the TSRTC had responded so far, Mr. Reddy alleged.
Though pay revision was due on April 1, 2017, it had not been done till now.
Women employees
Major demands put forth by the union are pay revision on a par with other government employees, and fresh recruitments to fill close to 5,000 vacancies in all categories.
“For 10 years, there has not been any recruitment in RTC. ITI students who joined for apprenticeship are being put on regular jobs,” Mr. Reddy said.
Women employees, numbering about 800, should not be put on night duty, as it compromised their safety, and better facilities should be provided for them, he said.
Fixed duty hours
Job security should be ensured and conductors and drivers should not be removed from service on minor pretexts.
Duty hours should be fixed, and the journey schedules should be decided after joint survey by depot manager and representatives of the union.
Uniforms should be distributed by the Corporation, as the last set of uniforms were given six years ago. Charge-sheets and memos were being issued for not wearing uniforms, Mr. Reddy said.
Pensions
Hiring private buses should be stopped, and illegal operations by private transporters should be controlled.
The union is also demanding reimbursement of hospitalisation expenses for employees’ parents, increase of hospitalisation expenses for retired employees and white ration cards for retired employees and provision of Asara pension.
