Women conductors demand fair treatment

Somajiguda: The Women RTC employees especially conductors allege that the government is ignoring basic issues like provision of maternal healthcare and access to washrooms.

V Sandhya, state president of Progressive Organization for Women (POD), said, "The government didn't even bother about the working women employees and has been mistreating them regularly. We stand with the women employees and will fight till they get a satisfied solution."

The employees explained many issues they are facing while on duty. They complained of lack of proper toilets and no maternity leaves for them. K Aruna, a conductor, explained thus: "We have stopped taking drinking water on duty due to unavailability of toilets.

My route is from MGBS till Udgir in Maharashtra which is around 476km journey. All along the journey, there are only two depots Zaheerabad and Bidar that have washrooms for women. We either have to avoid drinking water all along or have to control until we reach the depot. The passengers are also not co-operative with us due to which we don't get a chance to eat lunch sometimes."

The up and down journey from MGBS to Udgir takes up to 18 hours. Due to this many women conductors are facing health problems. The demands of employees also include allotting office duties to pregnant and above 50 years employees and to grant maternity leave to pregnant employees.

Expressing her grief K Padma, a conductor at MGBS depot, shared, "There are no maternity leaves for pregnant women. Once they enter their ninth month of pregnancy, they are eligible to avail of their six months' maternity leaves.

Until then, the pregnant employee has to work. We requested a few years back to allow pregnant and above 50 years employees for office duties but the association denied our requests."

"We have to complete all domestic work and then work standing for at least 10 hours a day issuing tickets and ushering in and out passengers becomes very hectic for pregnant and aged women," she added.

There are 5,000 women conductors across 94 depots all over State are facing the same issue. Malati a conductor at MGBS depot says that there is no committee to address sexual harassment at work which is a major concern nowadays. Representation addressing this issue has already been shared with the authorities but all their efforts are in vain.

Demands of women conductors

1. Resolve all the 26 demands made by RTC immediately
2. A merger of RTC with government
3. Release pending dues to RTC workers
4. Withdrawal of any proposal of privatisation
5. Constitute high-power committee to discuss identify and address the issues of women employees in RTC
6. Immediately fill up 7,000 vacancies
7. Ex gratia to kin of RTC employees who committed suicide