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The Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TGSRTC) announced an indefinite strike that commenced at midnight on 21 April. The strike was called after talks failed between the Telangana government and the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TGSRTC) Joint Action Committee (JAC) over long-pending demands.
The JAC’s demands include implementation of all promises made to RTC employees in the Congress 2023 manifesto, merger of RTC staff into government service, and clearance of pending dues, arrears and retiree benefits.
They are also seeking implementation of the 2021 pay revision with a 30% fitment, parity in the upcoming 2025 revision, and government takeover of RTC debts along with a dedicated allocation of 3% of the state budget.
The TGSRTC strike has intensified tensions between workers’ unions and the Telangana government, which had already escalated after failed negotiations at the state Secretariat.
According to officials, the government has constituted a four-member committee to examine the demands and sought four weeks to submit its recommendations. The panel is headed by Special Chief Secretary for the Transport, Roads and Buildings Department Vikas Raj and includes senior officials from the Labour and Finance departments. The committee also includes the TGSRTC Vice Chairman and managing director, Y Nagi Reddy.
TGSRTC operates about 9,500 buses, including 2,500 hired buses and over 1,000 electric buses. About 25 lakh people travel by RTC buses across the state every day. The Mahatma Gandhi Bus Station (MGBS) in Hyderabad, the biggest bus station in the state, wore a deserted look. A similar situation prevailed at Jubilee Bus Station (JBS) in Secunderabad and at bus stations across districts.
TGSRTC Managing Director Nagi Reddy has appealed to the employees to return to work. He stated that the state government is ready to resolve their demands in a phased manner.
The JAC, however, has maintained that the demands have remained unaddressed. JAC Chairman Venkanna stated that the strike had become unavoidable, arguing that successive governments had already made commitments that remain unfulfilled. He said employees would not withdraw the strike until concrete action is taken.
A major point of contention is the alleged push towards privatisation. The JAC has opposed the proposed induction of private electric buses, particularly in the Greater Hyderabad region, and the reported diversion of RTC buses to district operations.
The ongoing standoff has raised concerns over widespread disruption to public transport services across the state, with bus operations expected to be severely affected. The situation has also drawn comparisons to the prolonged 52-day RTC strike in October 2019 under the BRS government, which significantly impacted daily life and led to heightened political and labour unrest.
(with IANS inputs)