Hyderabad: The indefinite strike launched by RTC employees, longest ever in the annals of the state transport undertaking, has caused the corporation Rs 400 crore loss till date.
The loss is calculated at the rate of Rs 11 crore per day for 41 days.
Adding to the woes of RTC, officials say, the running of RTC buses with the help of temporary drivers and conductors is not generating enough revenues for the unviable transport undertaking.
The worst part is that people of the state have been encountering untold difficulties because of the protracted strike.
Amid several suicides by depressed RTC workers, the RTC JAC has put forward its 26 demands for grievance, with the principal one being merger of the corporation with the government. Although the Telangana High Court has asked the government to resolve the crisis, the government appears to be in no mood to find a solution to the RTC strike pioneer reports.
The APSRTC, from which TSRTC was segregated, took shape on Jan 11, 1958. However, TSRTC was created post bifurcation of the state from the undivided AP. The previous longest strike by RTC workers in 2001 lasted 24 days.
Seeking enhancement of their wages, the RTC workers struck work for three days in July 2005 and against for two days in October the same year.
At the height of the movement for Telangana, RTC workers participated in ‘Sakala Janula Samme’ and struck work for 27 days. After the formation of TRS government, RTC workers struck work for eight days seeking enhancement of salaries.
Workers are committing suicide
Already, five RTC employees had ended their lives and some others attempted suicide in different parts of Telangana since the strike began on October 5.
Nearly 48,000 employees had boycotted work and commenced an indefinite stir across Telangana on a call by the JAC of TSRTC employees’ unions, demanding merger of RTC with the government, pay revision, recruitment to various posts, among others, resulting in state-run buses staying off the roads causing inconvenience to commuters.
Chief Minister had earlier said under no circumstances would the RTC be merged with the government and said the employees’ stir was illegal as they caused immense inconvenience to the public.