TSRTC Strike Likely Despite Meeting with Transport Minister

Hyderabad: After the call given TSRTC employees' unions for strike from June 11, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao gave them a stern warning stating that any employee who takes part in the proposed strike should be prepared to lose job. After yesterday's strong words from the CM, the union leader met up with Transport minister Mahender Reddy this morning. But going by the reaction of the union leaders, they were in no mood to call off the proposed strike.

It is said the strike that the RTC would lose Rs 4 crore per day adding to the existing loss of Rs 700 crores every year. These losses will be in addition to Rs 3000 crores in loans for which interest repayment is Rs 250 crore a year. According to government officials, union demands will burden the TSRTC management to the extent of an additional Rs 1400 crores.

Going by government reports only nine out of the 96 RTC depots in the state were making profits, Moreover, recently the government had increased the wages of TSRTC employees by 44 per cent. If the losses continue, the state would be forced to follow take a cue from other states. Eight states wound up the state-owned corporations or restructured it.

Meanwhile, union leaders after meeting Transport minister had said that they have not yet called off the strike. The union leaders wished that this strike should be the last one for solving all the issues with TSRTC. The CM was being misguided by the officials and were diverting the main issue, they added.