TSRTC Staff plea to join duties rejected

Hyderabad: Within an hour after the RTC JAC calling off the 52-day-old strike, the Telangana government gave a big shock to the striking workers. The government rejected the JAC plea to take back the 48,000 RTC workers into services from Tuesday.

After a meeting with Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao at Pragathi Bhavan here on Monday, RTC Managing Director Sunil Sharma issued an official statement turning down the JAC request and also sent back the letter forwarded to him by RTC JAC convenor Ashwathama Reddy on the re-instatement of the workers in the job. He also ridiculed the striking workers' decision to end the strike and join the duties on their own.

The existing laws and employee rules do not allow the workers to take decisions on their own, he said, adding that since the RTC workers' issue was sub judice, the government will not take them into service unless the Labour Court disposed of the case.

The official appealed to the workers to maintain restraint until the Labour Commissioner come out with a solution on the dispute between the striking workers and the RTC management.

"Till the process as suggested by the High Court is completed, workers who are on illegal strike, cannot be taken back into duties.

Workers have incurred losses by listening to the RTC unions words. Workers should not suffer further believing in the words of the union leaders," the official said.

He warned of action against those who create law and order problem at bus depots and force the management to allow them to resume their duties. "The government will not tolerate anyone one who breaks the law and order situation," he added.