RTC staff launch indefinite stir

Khammam, Jan. 5: The Apsrtc employees led by Joint Action Committee began an indefinite strike here on Tuesday as part of the state-wide agitation demanding that the management resolve their long-pending problems. Employees Union, Staff and Workers Federation, Karmika Sanghams and Karmika Parishad unions participated in the strike.Fifty percent of 584 services in the region were not operated and the RTC incurred a loss of Rs.15 lakh on the first day.

 The employees staged gate meetings at the bus depots of Khammam, Madhira, Sattupalli, Kothagudem, Manuguru, Ellandu and Bhadrachalam.Addressing the employees at Khammam depot, SWF district secretary, G. Lingamurthy demanded that the government solve their long pending problems. “The government turned a blind eye on the employees’ problems,” he criticized. JAC leader T Rama Rao said the wages of RTC employees should be given salaries on par with the state government employees.

 “The contract system in RTC must be scrapped and the contract workers' services should be regularized by the government,” he demanded.CITU leader K Venkateswar Rao demanded that vacancies in the Corporation be filled up as early as possible and service conditions should be increased. “The employees will fight till their problems are resolved,” he called.  Hundreds of employees joined in the gate meetings at depots in the region.