APSRTC union rejects outsourced conductors and seeks regular hiring

The Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation Employees’ Joint Action Committee has opposed a reported proposal to recruit conductors through outsourcing and on-call arrangements. JAC state convenors Y. Srinivasa Rao and P.

Damodara Rao said permanent positions in a public-sector organisation should be filled through regular appointments. They demanded that the state government issue a recruitment notification for about 15,000 vacancies across the APSRTC. The union leaders said the vacancies covered drivers, conductors and mechanical staff.

They claimed that the corporation had not conducted regular recruitment for 14 years, leaving existing employees to handle heavier workloads. According to the JAC, outsourcing could provide a short-term response to staff shortages but would weaken the regular employment system and potentially contribute to privatisation. The leaders also warned that having regular, contract, outsourced and on-call workers perform similar duties could trigger disputes over wages, job security and service conditions.

They linked the staffing pressure to increased passenger numbers following the implementation of the Stree Shakti scheme. Daily ridership had reportedly reached about 20 lakh, they said, while the number of buses and employees had not grown proportionately. The JAC called for the outsourcing proposal to be withdrawn and for all vacancies to be filled through regular recruitment.

It also demanded the procurement of 4,000 new buses and said electric and other future buses should be operated by APSRTC itself. The union leaders said strengthening the corporation required increasing regular staff alongside the fleet. They announced that a meeting with all unions would be held to discuss the issue and determine a future course of action.

The supplied report does not include a response from the state government or APSRTC management.