HYDERABAD: With only three days remaining before the planned strike by Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) workers, tensions are escalating amid continued silence from the state government and RTC management. Despite Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy personally urging the unions to reconsider, there has been no official communication from the authorities as of Friday evening.
Trade unions served notice to the TSRTC management stating their intention to launch an indefinite strike from midnight on 6 May. If no breakthrough is achieved through negotiations over the weekend, the strike will proceed as planned. All buses will remain parked at depots from the morning of 7 May, union leaders confirmed.
Although Chief Minister Revanth Reddy publicly expressed his willingness to hold talks—saying he had no hesitation in engaging with the unions—the failure of either the government or the management to initiate formal discussions has drawn sharp criticism from the workers.
Union leaders had hoped that, following the CM’s remarks on May Day, discussions would be scheduled promptly. However, their expectations were dashed when no meeting materialised by the end of the week. The unions made it clear that while they had announced the date for the strike, they expected the administration to announce the date for negotiations.
Sources indicate that a meeting could still be convened on Sunday evening or Monday morning under the supervision of Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar. However, uncertainty looms over whether the government will entertain the unions’ core demand—that TSRTC employees be absorbed into government service. CM Revanth Reddy has repeatedly cited the state’s poor fiscal condition as a barrier to implementing such proposals, saying, “The state is under debt, and even paying regular salaries is a challenge.”
The government’s reluctance to commit has raised doubts among employees about its seriousness. Political analysts believe that if the government refuses to discuss the merger demand, the initial round of talks could end in a deadlock.
Unions, however, remain hopeful that their demands will be considered. They welcomed the CM’s tone on May Day but reiterated that if the government fails to call them for discussions, the strike will proceed without hesitation.
Preparations for the strike are already underway. Posters announcing the protest have been distributed to all depots, and workers have begun pasting them on buses, in depots, and in public places with heavy footfall. “The responsibility now lies entirely with the government and RTC management,” union leaders said.
From the stroke of midnight on 6 May, buses will halt wherever they are. By the morning of 7 May, TSRTC’s services across the state are expected to come to a complete standstill unless the deadlock is resolved.