The Hindu : Front Page : RTC staff in Jammu and Kashmir seek voluntary retirement en masse

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Friday, Oct 02, 2009
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RTC staff in Jammu and Kashmir seek voluntary retirement en masse

Shujaat Bukhari

The reason: no wages paid for the last five months

We could not even celebrate Id and our families are near disintegration: RTC Union leader
SRTC Managing Director says their demand for compensation in one go is not possible

SRINAGAR: In an unprecedented development, the entire staff of the Jammu and Kashmir State Road Transport Corporation (SRTC) on Thursday sought voluntary retirement after the government failed to concede their demand of releasing the salary, which is pending for the last five months.

The employees have been agitating and asking the government to take effective steps for the revival of the corporation, which is otherwise in the red. They had been demanding payment of the pending salaries, other benefits and a strategy to make the corporation vibrant.

Chairman of SRTC Workers Union Shakeel Ahmad Kuchay said all the 3,742 employees submitted applications for voluntary retirement. This was done after the government failed to take note of the demands of the striking employees.

‘It is up to government’

Mr. Kuchay said, “The ball is now in the court of the government and it is up to them to decide on the future course of action.”

Mr. Kuchay, who led a protest from the Tourist Reception Centre to SRTC headquarters here, said this was the last resort for them as the government was indifferent to the crisis.

“We could not even celebrate Id and our families are near disintegration,” he said.

He said: “We have suffered a lot and the recent strike too did not deter the government. We now want all pending salaries and emoluments along with compensation as per the Central government Workmen Compensation Act. We are not beggars.”

Managing Director of SRTC Anoop Kannaw told The Hindu that the employees had submitted their papers.

“I was out of office for the whole day but I am told that they have given the papers. We will scrutinise them and see that the papers which are eligible are sent to the Finance Department for approval.”

“Huge losses”

Mr. Kannaw said he was projecting the crisis before the government and in Thursday’s Cabinet meeting also he put a note. The SRTC was facing huge losses, which had gone up to Rs. 37.45 crore only in the form of cash.

“We have projected this before Finance Commission as well,” he said adding that the employees were demanding the compensation in one go, which means Rs. 340 crore and “that is not possible.”

The corporation, he said, faced more losses during the Amarnath land row and this was compounded by this fresh spell of strike by employees.

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