Auto strike called off after Telangana minister’s assurance

Hyderabad: The Auto Drivers Unions Joint Action Committee has called off the proposed statewide strike on December 7. The Committee has withdrawn the strike after Telangana Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar gave them an assurance that the government would resolve their issues.

According to Shaik Salauddin, Founder President, Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Union (TGPWU), the Transport Minister met the representatives of the JAC and stated that the transport department would hold discussions with the stakeholders to resolve their concerns.

Earlier, the auto-rickshaw drivers’ JAC had announced a statewide strike on December 7 to press the government to address their pending demands. They have also submitted a representation to Joint Transport Commissioner C Ramesh highlighting their issues.

The demands mentioned in the representation include Rs 15,000 reimbursement per annum from the state government as compensation for their “losses” in daily income following the implementation of the Mahalakshmi scheme in the state which offers free bus rides for women.

The auto-rickshaw drivers are also demanding a compensation of Rs 10 lakh to families of drivers who die by suicide, and a ban on the two-wheelers operated by aggregators.