TGSRTC workers’ union for suspension of contractual employment

A workers’ union of the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TGSRTC) has demanded that the management hit the brakes on its plan to hire workers on a contractual basis. Citing the retirement of over a few thousand workers over the past decade, the union has called for regular recruitment to fill long-pending vacancies in the corporation.

The Staff and Workers Federation (SWF) has urged a roll back of the hiring move and sought the notification of regular, full-time posts.

The union maintained that upwards of 10,000 workers had retired in the last 10 years. They claimed that little or no direct recruitment has happened in the same time period. Only a handful of compassionate appointments have been made, union office bearers Veeranjaneyulu and V. S. Rao said.

With the Mahalaxmi Scheme, that provides free bus rides to women, launched in December 2023, occupancy has spiked. This has led to the need for augmenting the bus fleet of more buses and increasing staff strength. However, the union alleged that the TGSRTC has not expanded its fleet to meet the rising demand. Recruitments too have been put on the back burner.

Arguing that the TGSRTC is a permanent service-oriented institution, the union asserted that contractual recruitment not only contravenes certain stipulations, but also is a betrayal of unemployed youth. They noted that while both regular and contract staff perform the same duties, the latter face severe pay disparities and job insecurity.

The union also criticised the practice of outsourcing recruitment to private contractors. The government’s approach is akin to dividing unions, they said.