TSRTC Row: CPI holds 'Chalo DGP office' protest in support of workers

The CPI leaders on Tuesday, October 29, staged a protest and called for a 'Chalo DGP office' campaign in support of the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) employees who are on a strike in Hyderabad. "The RTC employees' strike which is currently underway is legal and the government is not ready to listen to the court and not following the directions of the court. They should solve the matter by following the court directions because around 48,000 RTC employees are involved in the strike", Chada Venkat Reddy, CPI Secretary told ANI. 

Reddy added, "Today (October 29) we have staged a protest in solidarity with RTC employees and given a 'Chalo DGP office' call. If the police allow then we will meet Telangana DGP."

READ | Telangana: RTC Worker Commits Suicide, 4th Since Strikes Began

About RTC employees' strike

Over 48,000 RTC employees have been on an indefinite strike that started on October 5, against the State government to have the employees’ demands met. The strike saw the participation of activists, leaders of the opposition parties, trade unions, teachers and workers joining the protest against what they called a 'dictatorial' attitude of Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao. The state-wide bandh had been called by the RTC employees and joint action committee (JAC) of various unions. To add to its intensity, the Ola and Uber cab drivers had also gone on an indefinite strike to press their demands of regularizing the cab aggregator market in which nearly 50,000 cabs had gone off the roads as claimed by the drivers' association.

READ | Telangana: TSRTC Unions And Management Hold First Round Of Talks

High Court directed to hold negotiations between two parties

The Telangana High court had insisted the RTC to hold talks with its protesting employees and had directed the state government and the protestors to settle all disputes before October 28. Lawyers of the government had earlier ruled out the possibility of any negotiation, but later agreed to hold talks with the protestors after the High Court’s directives to attend to the protesters and negotiate since nearly half of the demands did not have any financial obligation.

READ | Telangana: Congress Demands Judicial Probe Into TSRTC Strike

The RTC’s Managing Director, Sunil Sharma stated that RTC was ready to discuss 21 demands upon High Courts directive, but the unions wanted to hold discussions on all their grievances which included the merger of RTC with the government which was not acceptable to RTI. Hence the union did not agree to further discussions and left the venue. Four RTC workers have committed suicide since the strike began.

(With ANI inputs)

READ | Merger Of RTC With Govt Impossible, Says Telangana CM CITY NEWS