AP State Road Transport Corporation-Joint Action Committee talks fail again

The employees will approach CM Jagan Mohhan Reddy urging his intervention in the issue as their stir will begin from June 13.

Published: 07th June 2019 08:59 AM  |   Last Updated: 07th June 2019 08:59 AM   |  A+A A-

APSRTC buses

APSRTC buses (EPS | P Ravindra Babu)

By Express News Service

VIJAYAWADA: Talks between Road Transport Corporation (RTC) employees’ Joint Action Committee (JAC) and the corporation management held here on Thursday failed again, forcing the employees to hit the streets from the earlier announced strike date of June 13. However, the JAC leaders said that they will bring the issue to the notice of Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy.

The major demands of the JAC include implementation of wage revision for employees as per agreement on February 5, restriction on hiring vehicles, increasing retirement age to 60 from 58 among others. Speaking about the meeting, JAC convener P Damodar Rao said that RTC vice chairman and managing director NV Surendra Babu skipped both the meetings - first held on May 21 - which shows that the management is not serious to avert the employees’ strike. 

“During the course of the meeting, the management asked the JAC to call off the proposed strike and sought some time to implement our 26 demands mentioned in the strike notice served on May 9. However, we will not go back over fulfilment of our demands,” he said. JAC leader Ch Sundaraiah said that out of 26 demands, only two are under the purview of the State government while the remaining 24 should be resolved by the management. 

“We are going ahead with the strike against the decisions of the management but not against the government,” he said. “The Chief Minister, during his padayatra, had promised to fulfil demands of the employees and take necessary steps to merge RTC with the government,” the JAC leader added. 
Sundaraiah also urged Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy to release arrears of `3,700 crore to RTC and mention about it in the forthcoming budget sessions. He further urged the State government to bear the losses incurred by the corporation.

JAC’s ‘action’ before strike

  • JAC will launch ‘non-cooperation movement’ by boycotting the double duties at 128 bus depots, workshops and offices across the State from June 9. 
  • Meetings will be held at Kadapa on June 8, Anantapur and Kurnool on June 9, Guntur  on June 10 and Vijayawada on June 11