Telangana RTC Strike to Begin May 6 Midnight

TGSRTC employees have decided to go ahead with their indefinite strike starting from midnight on May 6. The strike comes after the government failed to address 21 key demands raised by the employees, prompting the unions to push forward with their protest.

The strike is expected to disrupt regular bus services across the state, but employees have made it clear that they will not obstruct the operation of private or hired buses during the strike period. The unions, led by TGSRTC JAC vice-chairman Thomas Reddy, are firm on their stand, saying the government has not made meaningful efforts to resolve the workers’ concerns.

Earlier, Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar met with representatives from various unions, including the TMU, NMU, Karmika Sangham, and STMU, to discuss the demands. However, the JAC dismissed this meeting, stating that the leaders involved were from unrecognised unions, and it did not represent the legitimate concerns of the workers. The JAC remains firm in its decision to go ahead with the strike, citing the lack of attention to their grievances.

On Tuesday, Minister Prabhakar appealed to the unions to reconsider their decision, urging them to drop the strike in the interest of public welfare. He assured them that the RTC is on a recovery path and that the issues would be raised with Chief Minister Revanth Reddy. The minister also emphasized that any union could approach him directly to discuss their concerns.

Meanwhile, the TGSRTC management issued an open letter to employees, urging them to abandon the strike. In the letter, the management warned that a strike would severely impact both the corporation and its employees, especially as the RTC is recovering from previous financial losses. They reminded workers that the 2019 strike had plunged the company into a deep crisis. The management stressed that a strike is not a solution to the problems, and it would cause irreparable damage to the corporation and its workforce.

Despite these appeals from both the government and management, the unions remain determined to proceed with their strike, which will involve over 40,600 workers. The strike is expected to cause significant disruption to public transportation across the state. The unions have stated that unless their demands are met, they will go ahead with the strike, marking a critical moment for the state’s transportation system.

As talks continue and tensions rise, it remains to be seen whether a last-minute resolution can be reached to prevent the strike and ease the pressure on the state’s public transport system.