The State transport unions are expressing contradictory views regarding their plans for the upcoming festive season. Uttaranchal Roadways Karmchari Union (URKU) has announced that it will be going on an indefinite strike from the midnight of October 22. On the other hand, Roadways Karmchari Sanyukt Parishad (RKSP) said that the festive season is the peak time for revenue generation.
The general secretary of URKU, Ashok Chaudhary said, “Our union members have not received their salaries yet for the month of September and Diwali bonus. We have also not been paid overtime dues for the past four years. This lapse in the management of Uttarakhand Transport Corporation (UTC) is bringing the morale of transport employees down.”
The general secretary of RKSP, Dinesh Pant said, “Our union members, though not happy with the present UTC management, will work during the festive season. The festival of lights is the peak time for revenue generation. If we won’t work now, then how will UTC be able to pay our salaries? We have intimated this to all transport depots to work with enthusiasm and transport as many passengers as they can. About the pending salaries, we will speak with the General Manager (GM) after the Diwali festival.”
GM (Administration and Personnel) Nidhi Yadav said, “We will be speaking with the union representatives on Friday. The festive season is the peak time for the corporation to earn profit; we will try to make sure that there are no contradictions about this among the unions. Rest assured, we have already committed that we will be paying their salary. The backlog of pending salary was of three months, we have already released salaries for two months for which we also received help from administration.”
It is pertinent to mention here that a senior member of State Transport Authority alleged that the politics of unions are becoming a hurdle for the employees to work efficiently.
For a long time, the UTC has not been earning profit. Even after the increase in tourism, the corporation continues to suffer loss.
