Representatives of the associations of the employees of the four state road transport corporations (RTCs) demanded Transport Minister B Sriramulu on Tuesday to reinstate 4,000 workers, who were either dismissed or suspended for participating in the strike earlier this year.
A day after hinting that the government will soften its stance towards the employees, most of who were caught in the crosshairs of a long-standing conflict with managements, the minister held a meeting with the leaders of the trade unions and federations representing the employees.
On Monday, Sriramulu had said that of the 6,000 employees dismissed or suspended from service, about 2,000 have been reinstated.
Sources said the minister did not make a commitment to reinstating the about 4000 employees but spoke of considering their pleas. "The workers urged that the minister can overrule the observation of the officials and save the workers. He had agreed to look into the matter positively," the source said.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Sriramulu said the government will engage with the trade unions and federations on the issue. "The state of affairs of the transport sector is well known. Our task now is to make the sector profitable. It is also my job to take employees into confidence. I will fix the problems of the employees," he said.
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