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TSRTC unions, mgmt lock horns
Staff shortage in the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) has resulted in heavy work burden on employees, allege trade unions. The TSRTC management seems to be pursuing a policy of reducing its salary bill to overcome losses incurred by it as no staff recruitment has been conducted in the state after bifurcation of the APSRTC.
​Hyderabad: Staff shortage in the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) has resulted in heavy work burden on employees, allege trade unions. The TSRTC management seems to be pursuing a policy of reducing its salary bill to overcome losses incurred by it as no staff recruitment has been conducted in the state after bifurcation of the APSRTC.
Giving details to highlight the staff shortage, the employees’ unions said the average number of crew per each bus has come down to six from 10.5 in the 90s. At the same time, the average distance covered by each crew member per bus has increased to 70 km now from 45 km in the early 90s.
At present, each RTC bus has 2.5 drivers and conductors and one mechanic on an average. Moreover, drivers are burdened with ticket issuing machines as single crew duty. As per norms, the staff strength in the road transport corporation should be 30 per cent more than required to enable the crew members to take leave in exigencies and family emergencies.
Instead of increasing staff strength, the management has actually reduced it imposing further burden on the existing employees, the unions said.
Speaking to The Hans India, Aswatthama Reddy, a leader of the recognised RTC union, alleged that the management was harassing crew members blaming them responsible for the decline in daily revenue. Bus conductors were feeling the work pressure more.
RTC officials were not providing adequate rest to the crew members by putting them on double duty frequently. The welfare of RTC workers was completely ignored by the management, he said.
Denouncing the `anti-worker’ policies of the management, RTC Employees’ Union general secretary Raji Reddy said the bus crew members were unable to bear the work-related stress and official harassment. He demanded that the management to take immediate measures to increase the staff strength as per norms and focus on welfare of workers.
RTC Staff and Workers’ Federation general secretary V S Rao said the management failed to implement the agreement reached with the unions in 2001 and 2005 following strike by workers demanding better-service conditions.
The management, which promised to maintain the Bus Staff Ratio at 8.5 as per norms following a court directive in this regard, was trying to cut down its salary bill by reducing the number of workers. It should lay emphasis on welfare of workers, he said.
When contacted, the RTC officials denounced the charges of workers unions. TSRTC Executive Director (Administration and Operations) Nagaraju said the Bus Staff Ratio has actually increased to 6.04 this year from 6.01 last year.
He attributed the rise in the Bus Staff Ratio to introduction of non-stop services which do not need a conductor. As part of measures to provide better services to people, the RTC hired 1,500 buses this year.
By: Bhaskar Vadlakonda
