KCR checkmates unions in RTC

Hyderabad: Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao has decided to neutralise influential union leaders and their effect on the workers of TSRTC by relaxing several norms in favour of the workers.

According to sources in the Corporation, the Chief Minister called the workers for a luncheon meeting to know the problems they were facing in their work.

The idea was to end the influence of the union leaders on the workers and this was the reason why the Chief Minister has asked the officials to send a team of five members from each depot and also wanted them to not include any union leaders in the team, sources said.

The union leaders were one stop solution for the workers when any issues arised in their duties. The officials have been supreme in the Corporation and the workers approach the union leaders whenever they face any issue with their duties, sources added.

When asked why the workers were strongly behind the union leaders for the last 55 days and did not care even after the Chief Minister issued two deadlines, a worker said that the union leaders come to their rescue often.

"If a passenger does not take ticket, the conductor in the bus is made responsible and the punishment is so big that he may have to lose job in some cases.

If a driver is involved in an accident, the officials have powers to dismiss the worker and to claim the damage done to the vehicle.

In cases like these, the union leaders help the workers by talking to the officials urging them to think in a humanitarian angle and in case of damage, they request officials to deduct money from the salaries of employees," said the RTC worker.

They also help the workers in pressing for regularisation of the services of the contract employees and others. The elected union leader from the recognised union has powers as he would be one of the directors in the Corporation.

Sources said that the Chief Minister wanted to know the issues of the workers hence he invited them for talks.

The Chief Minister's decision to change rule and make the passenger responsible for not taking ticket, was seen in this direction.

The decision to form workers council was also seen in that direction. The Chief Minister has also assured to provide job security to the workers in the Corporation.

The Chief Minister has already said that there would be no unions in the Corporation. The union office in the Bus Bhavan was locked by the officials and the special privileges of the leaders were also withdrawn and they were asked to return to duties.

There would be no union elections for the next two years in the Corporation.