Nalgonda electric bus services disrupted for three hours as drivers protest over wages

Nalgonda: Electric bus services were disrupted for three hours at the Nalgonda depot on Saturday as drivers staged a protest demanding higher wages and an end to alleged victimisation by the manpower agency.

The protest began early in the day, with drivers refusing to operate buses. They raised slogans against representatives of manpower agency JBM Siscon and accused them of harassing employees for forming a union, according to reports.

CITU (Centre of Indian Trade Unions) leaders alleged that the drivers had been facing harassment for organising themselves under a union. The drivers, who have been working for the past 16 months, demanded a wage revision.

They pointed out that drivers at the Suryapet and Warangal depots were being paid Rs. 26,000 per month, while their counterparts in Nalgonda received only Rs. 20,000.

The protesters also demanded the reinstatement of Somayya, Murali, Krishna Reddy and 15 others who had been taken off duty.

CITU District Secretary MD Salim and other unions leaders joined the protest and extended support to the drivers. Following negotiations, the agency’s representatives assured the drivers that their wage-related concerns and other issues would be addressed. The management also agreed to hold a joint meeting on November 4 to discuss their demands.

The drivers called off the protest after receiving these assurances, bringing bus operations back to normal after a three-hour disruption.