The polling in the Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation for identifying the `Recognised Union' began at 6 a.m. on Thursday and went on at a brisk pace with 41.23 per cent employees exercising their franchise by 9 a.m.
A press release of Labour Department said that out of 56,434 eligible voters, 23,267 employees had cast their votes. The leaders of the APSRTC Employees Union (EU) and National Mazdoor Union (NMU), the main contestants in the fray, are brimming with confidence.
Leaders of EU, the existing recognised union, have been harping on their achievements such as agreements signed on allocation of jobs to the kin of deceased RTC employees, regularisation of jobs of 24,577 contract employees, 43 per cent fitment allowance leading to hike and 62 other agreements on improvement of service conditions.
“Employees across the State are very happy with our performance and their satisfaction will translate into votes in our favour,” says Y. Venkateswara Rao, deputy general secretary of the EU.
On the contrary, NMU claims anti-incumbency wave. “We played an equally important role for fitness allowance. Wage hike has also brought in enormous increase in work load. Some of the agreements signed by the EU are detrimental to the workers’ interests. There is no referral hospital for women with gynic problems; there have been no recruitments in garages which have been outsourced,” complained R. Subba Rao, Krishna District secretary of NMU.
“We will win by a majority of 8,000 votes,” he predicted, explaining on NMU’s 54-point poll manifesto.
The APSRTC is witnessing a crucial phase as it stands at the crossroads post-bifurcation, deprived of all properties that are located in Telangana. The formal division of the Corporation will also have a cascading effect on the vast population of its employees. Elections at this juncture thus assume a greater significance.
Including EU and NMU, eight unions are contesting to capture 56,426 votes across Andhra Pradesh. Each employee will cast two votes—one for the State-level poll and one for regional round. In the State-level polls, a single extra vote can get majority to a union unlike in the regional round wherein the union will have to garner 50 per cent plus one additional vote to emerge victorious.
The postal ballot is slated for February 24 while the official declaration of the winning union will be made on March 4.
Entry of the ruling Telugu Desam Party and the Opposition YSR CP in RTC union elections has not gone down well with the leaders. “This is uncalled for. Political parties should keep away from trade unionism. Instead of sinking differences and helping the RTC tide over crisis, they have entered the poll fray with vested interests. This may split the RTC workers on caste and community lines,” Mr. Y.V. Rao expressed fears.
The NMU’s Subba Rao brushed aside the two new contenders saying they will have no impact. “Politics and trade unionism are two different things,” he said.
