Clamour for RTC trade union polls gets shriller

Hyderabad: The trade unions of the State-run Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) have urged the Labour Commissioner to immediately take up trade union election, as the term of Telangana Mazdoor Union (TMU) ended in August 2018.

Successive elections in the State including Assembly and Lok Sabha led to the delay in RTC trade union election. About 58,000 workers would get representation in the RTC management by virtue of the trade union election.

The recognition period for the elected union is for two years. During the last occasion, Telangana Mazdoor Union, affiliated to Telangana Rashtra Samithi got representation in the board.

However, with its honorary president and senior party leader T Harish Rao resigning from the post, different unions are trying to get workers in their union.

Employees Union (EU) general secretary K Raji Reddy pointed out that it has been ten months since the TMU term ended but the elections to RTC unions have not been taken up because of the election code.

He said the RTC staff was facing inconvenience because of this delay as the issues are not being addressed. He alleged that the existing union is working as a caretaker but not taking into account the problems of the workers.

The EU leader alleged that the management was increasing the workload on the workers and harassing them, and the recognised union is neglecting their issues. He said that it was not proper to postpone the RTC elections by using the election code as an excuse.

The EU had represented to Election Commission to intervene and give relaxation to the RTC. The Election Commission directed the management take up elections.

The RTC Telangana Jatiya Mazdoor Union demanded that the Labour Commissioner take up recognised union verification process.

The Union general secretary K Hanumanthu said the authorities had assured to take up the process after May 23 but the process is still not taken up.