Not welcome back: TSRTC to employees after strike ends

The Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) employees who ended their 52-day long strike on Monday and were looking to get back to work on Tuesday were turned down by the management who told them that they were not welcome.

“The employees have gone on strike when they wanted . Now they say the strike is over. It is an illegal strike thus they have terminated themselves. They are not welcome back,” said RTC managing director Sunil Sharma an hour after the employees' joint action committee (JAC) withdrew from the strike.

Sharma warned the dismissed staff for creating a law and order issue by trying to enter bus depots. He said CCTV cameras have been installed at all depots and offices. "I want the employees to wait for the directions of the Labour Court," Sharma said.

Around 49,000 employees have been on strike since 5 October demanding settlement of their 26 demands including that of the merger of the corporation with the government.

Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao took a firm stand against the strike and announced that all those who were on strike ceased to be employees of the RTC.

Meanwhile employees JAC chairman Ashwathama Reddy in a statement requested the management to provide a conducive environment for the staff to resume work. He also asked the temporary staff to stop working from Tuesday.