Telangana CM KCR announces huge sops for RTC workers

tsrtc

(Following is a news report that pleased all RTC workers and people who supported them in spite of a 52-day long strike from October 5. Around 49000 workers went on strike, hardly one percent workers resumed duties in spite of threats and ultimatums issued by the Management as well as the Chief Minister. The strike was illegal, declared the management, the workers opted for self-dismissal, said the CM, and both refused to talk to the workers. Where is the scope to discuss when workers are no more employees, argued the CM.    

Besides various democratic, revolutionary and Left forces and mass organizations, ruling class parties like BJP and Congress, now in opposition in Telangana, too fully supported the strike though they themselves adopted same or similar policies wherever and whenever they were in power. They rather sought to fish in troubled waters.Thus it transformed into a political strike. The High Court too appeared sympathetic to the workers, rather unusually, refused to say the strike was illegal, and that boosted the morale of the workers.  

The determined strike, perhaps the longest in India in recent past, further undermined the popularity and credibility of the ruling TRS party led by KCR. The CM is a shrewd politician who saw the situation, and came round, and in the process sought to nullify the opposition as well as trade unions.

The strike has many lessons for the workers and people in general. They need to stand on their own legs, utilize contradictions among the ruling classes, but should take care that they are not entrapped into those contradictions.)

***                       **

Hyderabad: Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao has categorically said that employment security would be given to the TSRTC workers and not even one TSRTC employee would be sacked from the employment and not even one private bus would be permitted to operate even in a single RTC bus’s route. He also s announced that from next year onwards, Rs 1000 Crore will provided in the State Budget for the TSRTC.

He announced that the September salaries of the RTC employees and workers would be paid this Monday. He also announced that salaries for the strike period would also be paid at one go. He also announced that the RTC employees and workers retirement age is increased from 58 years to 60 years.

He said despite financial crunch, the government on humanitarian grounds would pay full salary to the employees for the strike period which lasted for 55 days.

The Chief Minister further said that the retirement age of RTC employees would be hiked to 60 from the present 58. He said the government was also concerned about the welfare of the contract workers and hence it would soon regularise their services.

The government will pay the employees PF dues and money to be paid to the CCS.

The Chief Minister also announced that employees working on temporary basis would be made permanent in the TSRTC.

The other major decisions announced by the Chief Minister include increment for employees and for those employees died during the strike period, one job will be given to member of their family within eight days. Rs 2 Lakh per family will be paid as an ex-gratia amount by the government.

The responsibility of taking ticket will be with the passenger and no action will be taken against the conductors if a passenger fails to take the ticket.

Women employees should not be given nigh duties, they should complete their duties by 8 pm. In every depot, within 20 days, exclusive toilets, dress change rooms and lunchrooms for women should be created.

 All TSRTC women employees, like their counter parts in the government, will get three months child care leave along with the maternity leave.

Women employees need not wear the Khaki uniform; they can have their uniform in the colour of their choice. If the male employees also want a change in their Khaki uniform it will be done. A committee will be formed to give suggestions to solve the problems faced by the women employees.

Employees having colour blindness should be given other responsibilities but should not be removed from the employment.

He said that not even a single route would be privatised. He said just as the power utilities had become profit-oriented public sector units, the RTC too can earn profits. Only thing is that they should get out of the influence of the unions.

 In case a passenger failed to buy ticket, it was the conductors who were being punished. If a bus was involved in an accident, the drivers were being penalised even if they were not at fault. In all such cases, the unions have been supporting and helping them. Reacting to this, KCR said that hence forth the onus of buying ticket would be on passengers and the conductors will not be penalised.

For two year period, there will not be any elections for the TSRTC recognised Union. With two employees for each depot, Employees Welfare Board will be constituted. The employees told him that they have been strongly with the unions because they had been taking care of their problems.

Health services in TSRTC should include parents of the employees. Measures should be taken to avail the medical services of private hospitals not only in Hyderabad but also other places in the State. Medicines should be distributed free of cost to the employees at every Dispensary. Employees parents should be given the free bus passes. The government will pass orders to help the children of the employees get the fee reimbursement scheme.

When CM KCR said that if need be, employees should work an extra one-hour and half an hour per day, the employees expressed their acceptance by applause.

 He announced if there is any State that is protecting the PSUs it is the Telangana State. He reminded that power generation was not given to the private sector.

He desired that like the Electricity employees, the RTC employees should get more salaries and like the Singareni employees, they also should get the bonus every year. Emotional outbreak at the meeting The entire meeting the CM had with the RTC employees was high on emotional tone.

The government is making a housing scheme for the RTC employees. The RTC will also start goods and cargo services. Adequate spare parts will be made available at the Depots.

The CM urged the officials and employees to take a pledge that they would work in coordination to protect the RTC. He also urged that the RTC should be turn into a profitable organisation with united efforts and spirit as was done in case of achieving the separate Telangana State.

To increase the revenue of the RTC, goods and cargo services will be launched soon. He further promised free healthcare for parents of the employees besides free bus passes for them.

The Chief Minister desired that the RTC should become profitable in the next four months and every year it should earn Rs 1000 Crore profit and the RTC employees should get Rs one Lakh annual bonus.

KCR held a special interactive meeting with the RTC workers at Pragati Bhavan here on Sunday. Five workers’ representatives from each depot from the 97 depots took part in the meeting. Transport Minister Puvvada Ajay Kumar, Government’s Chief Advisor Rajiv Sharma, RTC MD Sunil Sharma, EDs, RMOs, DVMs and DMs, Controllers, Supervisors participated in the meeting.

CM KCR after having lunch with the RTC workers, held a two hour-long meeting with them. The CM responded and reacted to each and every issue of the RTC workers. The meeting took place in a congenial atmosphere. The CM solved the problems then and there and issued clear-cut instructions to the officials concerned.

He said that as Transport Minister he worked for three years and made the RTC into a profit-making organisation and hence he had all love for the Organisation even today. He assured that he would take all measures from the government for the survival and betterment of the RTC.

He said from now onwards, officials and employees should work unitedly and protect the RTC. He wanted them to take the required measures to make loss-making depots into profit making ones. He wanted re survey of routes to be done.

He said he would act as the brand Ambassador of the TSRTC. He said he would request TRS Ministers, MPs, MLAs, and MLCs to travel by RTC at least once in a month. MLAs should have a review meeting with the Depot Managers from their areas once in every two months. He wanted the Transport Minister to monitor this. Everyone present at the meeting had tears of happiness in their eyes. The CM took several measures for the welfare of the employees and every such announcement evoked thunderous applause from the employees. The employees expressed their gratitude towards the CM, when he took some measures for welfare of the employees’ families, with thunderous ovation.

CM enquired about their personal problem during the lunch. During the lunch, the CM freely mixed freely, affectionately interacted with the RTC drivers and conductors and enquired about their problems. The women shared with the CM their problem without any inhibition.

In his attempt to win the hearts of RTC workers, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Sunday announced a slew of measures, which if followed in toto, would help the employees get a bonus of Rs 1 lakh per year. He said if the employees cooperate with him, he would play the role of brand ambassador and bring turnaround in the corporation just in four months.

 As long-term measures, KCR said the government will provide Rs 1000 crore aid to the TSRTC every year to pull it out of red. TSRTC, he said, should become the best and profit-making state PSU in the country. The Chief Minister, who sought details about their working conditions and problems, assured no one would be sacked.

Courtesy : Hans News Service | 1 Dec 2019

https://www.thehansindia.com/telangana/cm-kcr-announces-huge-sops-for-rtc-workers-586217


SIGN UP FOR COUNTERCURRENTS DAILY NEWS LETTER


 

Tags:

Support Countercurrents

Countercurrents is answerable only to our readers. Support honest journalism because we have no PLANET B.
Become a Patron at Patreon

Join Our Newsletter

GET COUNTERCURRENTS DAILY NEWSLETTER STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX

Join our WhatsApp and Telegram Channels

Get CounterCurrents updates on our WhatsApp and Telegram Channels

Related Posts

Join Our Newsletter


Annual Subscription

Join Countercurrents Annual Fund Raising Campaign and help us

Latest News