Hyderabad:100 TSRTC employees ready to report for duty detained

Hyderabad Police on Tuesday detained 100 Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) employees who were ready to report for duty. The detention took place a day after the TSRTC-Joint Action Committee (JAC) issued an order to cancel the nearly two-month long strike and asked the workers to report back to their services.The detained RTC employees were taken to Osmania University Police Station.

The Telangana High Court on November 23 refused to adjudicate on the issue of TSRTC strike held by 48,000 TSRTC employees. It decided to refer the matter to the Labour Department for a settlement The state government has said it will not allow the agitating employees to get back to work. Hyderabad Police have made security arrangements at Kukatpally depot. A two-tier police system is in place at the Secunderabad Jubilee Bus Station, in order to detain troubling employees. 

READ: TSRTC employees call off nearly two-month-old strike

52-day strike called off

The RTC employees have officially called off their strike and made it clear that they will report for duty. Heavy police deployment has been made at bus depots and at Bus Bhawan. Police said they are ready to detain more workers if they agitate. Police forces have also blocked RTC employees at the Kacheguda Railway Station.

A state cabinet meeting will be held at Pragati Bhavan here on November 28 (Thursday). There is a possibility that the meeting could be extended by a day. The RTC matter is expected to be taken up among other issues during the meeting. The RTC employees on Monday cancelled their 52-day strike, during which at least five TSRTC workers committed suicide. The employees had been protesting since October 5 over several demands, including revision of pay.

READ: TSRTC MD Sunil Sharma Calls Striking Workers Rejoining Work As 'unacceptable'

TSRTC workers' protest

The RTC employees started a strike on October 5 in Hyderabad. The Transport Corporation Joint Action Committee had been demanding for the merger of the Regional Transport Committee with the Telangana government. They also asked for the prohibition of electric buses. Ever since the beginning of the strike, more than 2,000 busses remained grounded inTelangana. After the TSRTC employee, Srinivas Reddy, died after allegedly immolating himself, protests also broke out in different parts of the city and other places, with workers raising slogans and holding the state government responsible for his death.

READ: TSRTC protests: Telangana High Court gives permission to privatise 5,100 RTC routes

Further, the employees also blamed the government for not taking action even after two TSRTC employees died. Earlier, the Chief Minister's office had warned the TSRTC staff that they will not be taken back if they fail to resume duty. However, only around 400 Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) employees of the total 50,000 had resumed their duties even after the deadline.

READ: Telangana RTC Unions To Call Off Strike If Govt Takes Back Fired Employees Unconditionally