APSRTC Union calls off strike plan

• Talks with management successful
• CCS amount of Rs 130 cr to be refunded
• DA to be hiked by 5% with effect from Oct
• Report on merger with govt by Sept end

Hyderabad: The APSRTC Employees Union called off the proposed strike following assurances given by the management on Wednesday.

The management agreed to repay Rs 130 crore corpus money it had withdrawn from the Employees Cooperative Credit Society (CCS). The staff was up in arms as withdrawal of funds from the CCS was made difficult for the employees to get loans.

During the talks that lasted over three hours between the union leaders and RTC Managing Director J Purnachandra Rao, the management also offered to hike the dearness allowance (DA) by 5 per cent with effect from October 2014. The employees had originally demanded that DA be made effective from July.

Rao also assured the union that the corporation would resolve all the problems related to RTC workshops within a specified time. This issue has been pending since 2011.

But the most important breakthrough achieved by the EU leaders is with respect to the committee set up by the previous Congress-led government to study the problems involved in the merger of RTC with the State Government. The management promised that the committee would submit its report by this month-end. This put an end to the speculations that the corporation would be privatised, union leader Damodar said.The strike call-off comes as a big relief for the TTD which is gearing up for the nine-day Brahmotsavams from September 26.