Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy urged the workers to reconsider the plan, citing the state's fragile recovery and the irreversible damage the strike could cause at this juncture.
Published May 04, 2025 | 8:00 AM ⚊ Updated May 04, 2025 | 8:00 AM
TGSRTC employees to go on strike if their demands unmet by 7 May.
Synopsis: The workers said despite repeated representations, including meetings with the Labour Commissioner and letters to the state, their demands — ranging from fleet modernisation to better wages and working conditions — remain unresolved.
The Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TGSRTC) workers, under the banner of a Joint Action Committee (JAC), have announced a statewide strike on Wednesday, 7 May, warning that not a single bus will leave the depots.
Despite repeated representations, including meetings with the Labour Commissioner and letters to the state, their demands — ranging from fleet modernisation to better wages and working conditions — remain unresolved. As tensions escalated, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy urged the workers to reconsider the plan, citing the state’s fragile recovery and the risk of irreversible damage the strike poses at this juncture.
“We have been making these demands for the past seven months. Even on 27 January, we wrote to the state listing our demands. We wrote on behalf of seven groups who’d come together as a Joint Action Committee (JAC),” JAC vice chairman Thomas Reddy Mamreddy told South First.
The workers presented a list of demands, which includes:
“We have submitted our representation to the Labour Commissioner twice. We even attended two meetings,” he said.
“Despite the meetings, nothing changed,” he explained. “Hence, we submitted a letter to the Labour Commissioner informing of our strike,” he continued.
“Now, the chief minister has called upon us not to protest. However, there is still no timeline for resolution or deliberation. At least talk to us so that we can reach an amicable solution,” he stated, adding. “What can we do if nobody is ready to talk to us?”
He reiterated that the JAC is ready to meet, discuss and reach a solution to their issues. However, he also reaffirmed their commitment to seeking a solution.
“If we still don’t get an opportunity to talk or don’t get a meeting, we will go ahead with the strike. Not a single bus will move out of the depot on 7 May,” Thomas Reddy announced.
On the occasion of International Workers’ Day, 1 May, the chief minister participated in a programme organised by the Telangana Labour Department at Ravindra Bharathi.
“There is a talk of striking work. This organisation belongs to us. Please do not be rigid. If anyone encourages you politically or if any wrong decision is taken, the entire system could suffer. Please think about this,” he appealed to the RTC workers.
“Discuss with the minister. We will do whatever is possible. The government is just getting back on track. If any mistake happens now in the name of a strike, it might become an irreversible situation,” he cautioned.
“With your support, Telangana is number one in every sector. We will reform labour laws to support workers and make Telangana a guiding model for the nation,” he assured.
“On this May Day, I make a promise to all worker brothers and sisters: whatever flexibility we may have, every single rupee will be spent for the welfare, development, and future of workers and their children. The TGSRTC, which was once trapped in losses and witnessed suicides, is now on the path to profit and self-sustained salary payments thanks to the hard work of its workers. We are trying to steer the RTC towards profitability,” he reminded.
He further announced that Telangana will introduce a robust model for unorganised workers that will serve as a role model for the entire country. He again appealed to the RTC employees to postpone their strike plans, emphasising that the government is still in its early stages of establishment.
(Edited by Majnu Babu).
