TGSRTC unions end strike as merger moves ahead
Government seeks time to phase ₹34,000 crore demands
Hyderabad’s RTC talks ended in a rare late-night breakthrough, with the government promising union elections, an 11 per cent pay hike under the 2017 PRC, and a formal step toward merging TGSRTC with the state government. After a long day of negotiations that stretched deep into the night, the mood shifted from anger and uncertainty to cautious relief, even if several big issues still remain unresolved.
A long night of talks
What unfolded at the Dr BR Ambedkar Telangana State Secretariat on Friday was not a routine meeting. It was a tense, exhausting round of negotiations that began around 10 am and only ended in the early hours of Saturday after three phases of discussions and nearly 12 hours of back-and-forth. For RTC workers who have spent years demanding dignity, security, and fair pay, the wait itself told its own story.
Officials went through all 32 demands raised by the workers one by one. According to the government side, 29 were accepted, while the remaining three were treated as policy-level matters that needed higher approval and more time. Those three, the merger with the state government, the 2021 and 2025 PRC demands, and fresh recognition of unions through elections, were always going to be the toughest.
What the government said
Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka came out early Saturday with the announcement that union elections would be held for the recognised TGSRTC unions. He also said workers would get an 11 per cent increase in pay under the 2017 PRC, a move that many employees had been waiting to hear for a long time. More importantly, he announced that a joint committee of officers and union leaders would be formed to work out the process of merging TGSRTC with the state government.
That promise matters because it touches the emotional centre of the RTC workforce. For many drivers, conductors, technicians, and support staff, the demand is not just about money, but about identity and dignity. They want to feel that their service is part of the state, not something kept at a distance. Bhatti said the remaining issues could still be resolved through dialogue between unions and management, sending a message that the door remains open.
Workers’ relief
The biggest immediate relief came from the fact that the government accepted several practical demands that affect daily work and family life. One key decision was that RTC drivers and technicians in the Greater Hyderabad zone will not be transferred and may instead be used to operate private electric buses being introduced in the area. For workers who feared sudden disruption in their lives, that is no small comfort.
The government also agreed to make compassionate appointments under the breadwinner scheme permanent, with regular pay scales rather than the existing contract arrangement. For families already dealing with the loss of a loved one, this change carries a deeply human meaning. It is not only a policy adjustment; it is an attempt to restore a sense of security to homes that have already been shaken.
The human cost
The talks were shadowed by grief. The ministerial meeting began with a minute of silence for Shankar Goud, the RTC driver who died by suicide amid the agitation. That moment changed the tone of the room. It reminded everyone that behind every demand list and every file note are workers and families carrying fear, frustration, and exhaustion.
Bhatti Vikramarka said he deeply regretted Goud’s death and noted that it happened while he and Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy were away campaigning in Tamil Nadu. His message was pointed but calm: issues can be settled through discussion, and the government would not treat workers the way the previous regime did during the 55-day strike in 2019. That comparison was not accidental. It was meant to signal a new style of governance, one that prefers negotiation over confrontation.
Voices from the unions
For the TGSRTC Joint Action Committee, the announcement was significant enough to urge workers to resume duties and celebrate at their depots. One union leader called it a historic day, saying elections were the only way workers could properly raise their concerns with management. That sentiment captures the larger mood among employees who have long felt that their voice was being diluted.
Union leaders did not hide their appreciation for what the current government has already done. They pointed to the clearing of 2013 bonds, implementation of the 2017 PRC, payment of pending Dearness Allowances, and reinstatement of 270 dismissed workers. At the same time, they made it clear that their demand for a 30 per cent fitment under the 2021 and 2025 PRC still stands. In other words, relief has arrived, but the full settlement is still a work in progress.
The bigger picture
The estimated cost of fully meeting all 31 worker-related demands was placed at around Rs 34,000 crore, which explains why the government asked for more time on some issues. That figure helps show why the discussion was not simply about goodwill, but also about the limits of public finance. A state can want to reward its workforce and still have to weigh the burden on the exchequer.
Even so, the decision to create a Cabinet sub-committee on the merger is a significant political signal. It suggests that the state is no longer treating the merger demand as a distant slogan. For workers who have campaigned, struck, lost jobs, and even lost lives, that recognition matters almost as much as the money. It tells them that the state is at least willing to imagine a future where RTC and government are not separate worlds.