RTC strike call off renders temporary workers jobless

Hyderabad: The temporary drivers and conductors, who rendered services during the 55 days of RTC strike, staged protest at depots on Monday demanding justice for their service.

A group of youngsters who were involved in the duties came to Dilsukhnagar Bus Depot in the city on Monday to meet the depot manager.

The employees met the depot manager and urged the officials to provide livelihood as they have been left out after the regular employees resumed their work.

After the RTC workers ended their strike, Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao decided to take back all the striking employees into duties.

This decision made the temporary drivers approach their respective depots to submit memorandum to the officials. The temporary staff said that they would take up relay hunger strike if the government does not provide them employment.

Ramesh, a temporary driver said that they had performed duties when the regular employees were on strike. "the Chief Minister gave us assurance that we will be taken into duties.

We expected that we will get jobs but after the regular employees resumed duties, we are left out without any assurance," said Ramesh.

Another temporary worker Srinivas said that it is not that all the temporary workers were unemployed. "Many of us were working in private jobs for a salary of Rs 8,000 to Rs 10,000.

When the RTC staff was on strike we expected that the government would regularise our services and it would provide us job security, but we are left in lurch," said Srinivas.

He claimed that the Chief Minister had promised to regularise their services when they performed duties.

The temporary workers said that since they had left their existing jobs and with RTC regular employees joining their duties, they had no jobs.

"We are not demanding but requesting the Chief Minister to think about us," said Srinivas.