Letter to BS: TSRTC employees strike is a way to arm-twist the state govt

This refers to “Telangana bus strike: HC tells TSRTC employees, govt to hold talks” (October 16). That two employees of the Telangana Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) have committed suicide following the tough stand taken by the state government to dismiss over 48,000 striking employees is most unfortunate. However, the demands of the employees are not reasonable either. The fact that they chose to go on strike from October 5 that coincides with the festival season made their intentions abundantly clear — to cause maximum inconvenience to the public and arm twist the government into acceding to their demands.

The state road transport corporations were formed as government companies to operate on commercial principles and to make profit. When TSRTC has incurred a huge loss of Rs 928 crore for the year ending 2019, the demands of the employees for a pay hike, filling up of vacant posts and converting the corporation into a government department so that the recurrent losses of the corporation would be borne by the exchequer, are all preposterous. The contention that “their demands should be favourably considered as they had wholeheartedly participated in the agitation to form a separate Telangana state” is devoid of merit, as no government can take far-reaching economic decisions on the basis of quid pro quo.

One hopes the advice of the high court has a sobering effect and both parties hold talks to arrive at an early settlement. This will end the agony of the employees, as well as that of the public why use TSRTC buses every day.

V Jayaraman, Chennai

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