APSRTC: 7,600 contract staff lose their jobs

Even Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) has joined the list of organizations resorting to lay-offs.  APSRTC on Friday announced that as many as 7,600 contract and outsourced staff needn’t report to duties from today.  It goes without saying that this is due to the fund crunch in times of lockdown.  

“Most of them worked as typists and data-entry operators at civil engineering departments, hospitals and maintenance wings. Some worked at garages and bus stations as sweepers and attenders,” reports The New Indian Express.  Many of them weren’t paid salaries for the month of April.  

As per media reports, the services of outsourcing staff will be pressed in by depot managers.  

The retrenchment measure flies in the face of the Centre instructing all government and private organisations not to lay-off employees in the wake of the lockdown.  With many firms/organizations bleeding due to unprecedented losses, they have had no option but to fire people.  

It has to be seen how the YS Jaganmohan Reddy government will handle the inevitable political fallout of the latest move by APSRTC.  Workers’ unions are already demanding that the decision must be revoked.