Hyderabad: Employee unions of Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) have urged the 48,000-plus workers of the organisation to refrain from celebrating Diwali this year as part of the protest against the state government. On Sunday, two employees of the TSRTC died, taking the death toll to four since the strike began in October. The Telangana High Court on 18 October asked the state government and the union leaders to hold talks, but so far there has been headway. Among the demands of the TSRTC unions are salary hikes, due since 2017 according to the JAC, and the merger of TSRTC with the state government, which Rao has said is not feasible. After the strike began on 5 October, KCR had called the “illegal and authorized" and all 48,000-plus employees who participated in protests will be considered “self-dismissed".

Source: Mint October 21, 2019 03:45 UTC