APSRTC employees seek wider support as agitation enters third phase
Leaders of the Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) Employees’ Joint Action Committee (RTC JAC) met representatives of other employee and student organisations on Sunday (August 9, 2026) as part of their decision to intensify their ongoing agitation over unresolved demands.
The RTC JAC leaders said that despite two months of peaceful protests, the government had not responded to their demands. As part of the third phase of the agitation, they are reaching out to various employee and student bodies to broaden support.
A delegation of RTC JAC leaders met APNGOs State president and AP JAC Chairman A. Vidya Sagar and APNGOs general secretary A.V. Ramana at the APNGO Home in Hyderabad. They appealed to the organisations to support their cause.
Speaking to the media after the meeting, Mr. Vidya Sagar clarified that the RTC employees’ unions were not opposed to the government’s decision to introduce electric buses. Instead, they wanted the government to purchase the electric buses and operate them with RTC staff. He also urged the government to issue a notification to fill vacant posts and give a clear assurance that there would be no move towards privatisation of the corporation.
Mr. Vidya Sagar announced full support to the RTC JAC’s agitation and its future programmes aimed at resolving the problems of RTC employees and protecting their rights.
The RTC JAC leaders also met AISF State president G. Vala Raju and AIYF State secretary M. Yugandhar. They appealed to the student and youth organisations to support the two-day mass hunger strike planned by RTC employees’ unions across the State on August 17 and 18. The strike is scheduled to be held at 129 depots across 28 districts. They also sought support for the Maha Dharna proposed to be held on August 28 outside the offices of the District Public Transport Officers (DPTOs) in all district headquarters.
The AISF and AIYF leaders extended full support to the RTC JAC’s agitation. They pointed out that students were facing difficulties due to the inadequate number of buses after the introduction of the Stree Shakti scheme. They demanded an increase in the number of buses in the RTC and the filling of vacant posts to create employment opportunities for youth.
RTC JAC convener P. Damodara Rao, co-conveners P.V. Ramana Reddy, C.H. Sundaraiah, S.V. Seshagiri Rao and Y. Srinivasa Rao, along with JAC leaders M.D. Prasad, R. Subbarao, S. Rajesh Kumar and M. Shankara Rao, among others, took part in the meeting.
The RTC JAC leaders said they would meet representatives of other RTC unions, trade unions and student organisations on Monday as part of their efforts to garner wider support for the agitation.
