RTC talks fail in Hyderabad

Hyderabad: The first round of talks between TSRTC staff and the three-member committee appointed by the government to look into the issue of merger of the corporation with the government have failed.

Employees' union JAC leaders said there was no change in their decision to go ahead with the proposed strike from October 5. The three-member committee comprising Somesh Kumar, Sunil Sharma and Ramakrishna Rao had a meeting with the Joint Action Committee leaders on Wednesday and requested them to call of their strike considering the inconvenience it will cause to the passengers especially during the Dasara festival.

The JAC leaders said that there was no question of calling off the strike unless the committee gives clarity on the time it would take in giving its report to the government.

The JAC said that the committee members told them that the government had Plan-B ready if the workers did not call off their strike. The committee told the JAC that if they call off the strike, they would take up the other 26 issues with the government for early solution.

One of the committee members Somesh Kumar said: "Since it is festival time, we have requested the JAC to call off the strike as the committee was ready to discuss all of their issues. My role is (in the committee) is to prepare a report on the issues raised in the meeting. We will give a report, not only about the strike but also on how to make the RTC a sustainable organisation."

JAC convener Ashwadhama Reddy said that there was no clarity and no time limit fixed for the committee. "They are not telling about time... They are saying they will do it soon. He said that 22 out of 26 demands can be solved by the management and only four demands need to be addressed by the government.