In a significant move, the Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) management has given marching orders to nearly 7,600 outsourced/ contract staff working in the public sector transport giant across the State.
In a communication to the field officers, M. Pratap, Vice-Chairman and Managing Director of the Corporation, said in the wake of the coronavirus impact, it was decided to introduce cashless transactions in the RTC buses, without the role of conductors. "Now, as there will be an excess number of conductors, they will be deployed at places where there is a need, withdrawing the services of the outsourced employees to the extent of excess number of conductors."
Likewise, the services of excess number of regular drivers would be utilised for ‘Badi bassulu’ (school buses), light vehicles or parking duties, in the place of outsourced workers, he said.
Mr. Pratap said the idea was to utilise the services of permanent employees for all duties due to the COVID-19 outbreak and the subsequent financial crisis. Only after full utilisation of permanent employees, the corporation would call any outsourcing/contract personnel for duties, he added.
Calling for optimum use of the resources and manpower, Mr. Pratap asked the department officials to identify conductors with technical qualifications so that their services could be utilised in the civil engineering department to provide assistance in civil engineering works.
To generate revenue, the corporation plans to utilise its vacant lands by building commercial complexes and expand bus stations with commercial facilities. The MD also urged the employees to observe austerity measures in the face of serious financial crisis.
Move opposed
Leaders of the APSRTC, now Public Transport Department (PTD), in a letter addressed to Transport Minister Perni Venkataramaiah, have urged him to withdraw the decision.
Employees' Union president Y. V. Rao and general secretary P. Damodar Rao pointed out that the Centre had asked organisations and individuals not to relieve people of their jobs in the difficult times of COVID-19.
They said the outsourced/contract workers had been associated with the RTC for last many years, working for meagre wages in the hope that their services would be regularised someday.
