Unions to intensify stir

Hyderabad: With the government firm in its decision that it will not take back the sacked employees at any cost and would go ahead with its plans for part privatisation of the Road Transport Corporation, the employees' unions are now gearing up to intensify their agitation from Wednesday.

They are likely to meet all the trade union leaders affiliated to all political parties and mobilise their support for the agitation.

They are also waiting for the decision of the High Court in the matter since the case would come up for hearing on October 10. The union leaders on Monday said that the government should introspect as to why the RTC was in losses.

It was not because the unions or this agitation. They said RTC was never given routes where they could earn money.

All profit-making routes have been given to private operators in the name of hiring buses. RTC mostly operates on loss-making routes. They said it is government which is responsible for this.

They also said that the Chief Minister cannot take such major policy decisions unilaterally. The issue of sacking of over 48,000 employees cannot be taken by Chief Minister.

TSRTC is not a government body. It is a corporation. Secondly, the Chief Minister neither discussed the issue in the cabinet or Assembly, they said.

They felt that instead of complicating the issue, if the government had taken up filling of 6,000 vacancies and reimbursed the subsidy amounts of various categories of bus passes, things would have improved.

If the government takes hasty steps like appointing drivers in large numbers, it would be putting the lives of passengers at risk as it is difficult to get trained drivers in one go.

Another major issue that even the assets of RTC and routes have not been bifurcated between Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. The government was only exhibiting its 'ego' and behaving in an autocratic manner, JAC leader Aswardhama Reddy said.

Meanwhile, tension prevailed when RTC employees went to Gun Park to pay homage to Telangana martyrs and stage dharna. The police arrested them and shifted them to different police stations.

The police were also deployed at RTC union office to prevent the trade unions leaders from holding meeting. They were refused permission to hold dharna at Indira Park.

Telangana Mazdoor Union General Secretary Thomas Reddy requested all civil groups and public to extend their support to RTC unions.