RTC unions threaten strike 'at any moment' after May 22

Vijayawada: The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of APSRTC employees led by Employees Union (EU) served a strike notice to management on Thursday.

The union submitted a list of demands to RTC vice-chairman and managing director (MD) NV Surendra Babu.

It may be noted that National Mazdoor Union has already served strike notice on Wednesday.

APSRTC JAC Joint Action Committee leaders P Damodara Rao, Ch Sundaraiah, V Varahal Naidu, Y V Rao and other leaders met the RTC MD and submitted their list of 30 demands.

On this occasion, they said that they would make strike arrangements from May 10 across the state.

They further said that they would stage protests at 128 bus depots in the state. The staff would join strike at any minute after May 22, they said and added that they would conduct maha dharnas at all regional manager offices in the state the same day.

The leaders of 10 unions part of the JAC said that the RTC made plans to cut staff by 4,000 and also had not been filling vacant posts though they had been lying vacant for the last several years.

The RTC removed 12,000 employees during the last five years, they said.

They said that they withdrew strike following the assurance given by state government in the past. But the government failed to implement the assurances, they said and added that the management was provoking the employees though they are making strike arrangements peacefully

The leaders called upon the employees get ready to join the strike at any moment after May 22. They also asked the government to drop plans to privatise the corporation.

They requested the RTC management to discuss the issues with employees immediately to arrive at a solution.