KCR announces a slew of sops for Telangana RTC employees

Hyderabad: As the 52-day strike organised by around 49,000 TSRTC employees ends, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has announced a slew of benefits to the employees. The major amongst them is his decision to give Rs 1,000 crore to TSRTC every year. It is yet to be sanctioned in the annual state budget starting 2020-21. It is for the first time in the history of an RTC that a state government is approving funds in the budget every year. KCR had advocated for the privatisation following the employees’ strike. However, today, he promised that not one RTC route would be privatised.

In his first meeting with RTC employees and workers held at Pragathi Bhavan today, KCR announced several sops for the benefit of TRSRTC and its employees. Five workers representatives from each depot from the 97 depots took part in the meeting. As expected, KCR has not invited any union or union leaders to the meeting. He had earlier expressed his anger at the employees’ unions and leaders saying that they forced the “illegal strike” on RTC to achieve “illegitimate demands”.

While vowing to bring RTC into profits within four months, KCR said that he aimed to see the corporation earn Rs 1,000 crore-profit every year, and to see RTC employees receiving Rs 1 lakh bonus annually. Alongside these, the other sops declared by Telangana Chief Minister are as follows:

1. Stop calling RTC conductors and drivers as workers, and they should be called and referred to as employees. There is no difference between management and employees, and everyone should act as members of one family.
2. September salaries to be paid to RTC employees on December 2 (Monday)
3. Wages for the 55-day strike period will also be paid.
4. Employees’ increment will be given as it is.
5. For those employees died during the strike period, one job will be given to a member of their family within eight days. Rs 2 lakh will be paid ex gratia per family.
6. From the coming state budget, Rs 1,000 crore will be allocated for TSRTC every year.
7. RTC employees’ retirement age will be enhanced from 58 to 60 years.
8. TSRTC employees will have complete job security.
9. Responsibility of taking ticket will be with the passenger, and no action will be taken against the conductors if a passenger fails to take a ticket.
10. Employees having colour blindness should be given other responsibilities, and they should not be removed from employment.
11. Female employees should not be given night duties, as they should complete their duties by 8 pm.
12. In every depot, toilets, dress change rooms and lunchrooms for women should be created within 20 days.
13. Female TSRTC employees, like their counterparts in the government, will get three-month childcare leave along with maternity leave.
14. Female employees need not wear a khaki uniform, as they can have a uniform in the colour of their choice. If male employees also want a change in their khaki uniform, it will be done.
15. A committee will be formed to give suggestions to solve problems faced by women employees.
16. For two years, there will not be any elections for TSRTC-recognised union.
17. With two employees for each depot, Employees Welfare Board will be constituted.
18. Health services in TSRTC should include parents of the employees. Measures should be taken to avail medical services of private hospitals not just in Hyderabad but also in other places in the state.
19. Medicines should be distributed free of cost to employees at every dispensary.
20. Employees’ parents should be given free bus passes.
21. The government will pass orders to help children of the employees get a fee reimbursement scheme.
22. The government will pay employees PF dues and money to be paid to the CCS.
23. Adequate spare parts will be made available at the depots.
24. Temporary employees will be made permanent in the TSRTC.
25. The government is making a housing scheme for RTC employees.
26. Start goods and cargo services in RTC.