TSRTC Joint Action Committee convener E Ashwathama Reddy said on Wednesday that the unions will call off the strike if the RTC allowed employees to join duty unconditionally.
Addressing a press conference at TSRTC Employees Union Office, he requested the Telangana government and the TSRTC management to provide the same working environment that existed before the commencement of strike to the employees and not to take any punitive action against the employees when they resume duty.
The RTC employees had launched the strike on October 5 with a list of 26 demands which included merger of TSRTC with State government, job security to bus drivers and conductors and filling up vacancies.
ADVERTISEMENT
Though the State government gave two deadlines for the striking employees to resume duty, only a few responded to it.
On many occasions, the JAC leaders announced that they were determined to continue with the strike. However, they changed their tough stand a week ago. Last week, the JAC leaders announced that they were temporarily dropping their main demand of merger of the corporation with the government. On November 16, Ashwathama Reddy and one of the co-conveners K Raji Reddy launched an indefinite fast.
Telangana High Court on Monday disposed of all the petitions seeking to declare the strike illegal or for directive to government to hold talks with the workers. The High Court said that it was for the Labour Court to decide on the legalities of the strike as per provisions of the Industrial Disputes Act.
ADVERTISEMENT
On the same evening, the two leaders called off their fast and said they will take final decision on the strike after going through the court’s order .
The JAC leaders said that they received copy of the court’s order on Wednesday and held a review meeting. Later addressing a press meet , JAC leader Ashwathama Reddy said the unions were ready to withdraw the strike and requested the State government and RTC management to welcome employees to join duty unconditionally. The JAC leaders welcomed the HC order and said that they were confident of getting justice from the Labour Court.