Hyderabad: APSRTC Unions represented by the Employees’ Union on Saturday told Andhra Pradesh Transport Minister Sidda Raghava Rao that they were determined to go on indefinite strike from May 6. Raghava Rao invited the union leaders and made a bid to dissuade them from going on strike. Rao told the union leaders that he along with APSRTC Vice Chairman and Managing Director N Sambasiva Rao and other senior officials would meet Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Monday and explain to him the key demands, including 43 percent fitment on a par with the State government. He also promised to broach the subject in the State Cabinet meeting slated for Monday.

Raghava Rao told the Union leaders that the Chief Minister was contemplating granting house pattas to RTC workers and as such they should not go on strike. Rao cautioned the Union leaders “not to burn bridges” with the government that had heeded their demand of refunding the Rs 250 crore funds of Cooperative Credit Society (CCS) within no time. The minister exhorted the  Union leaders to put off the strike without bothering about the TSRTC unions. However, the Union leaders said in a press release after meeting the Minister that they cannot postpone the strike.