Rahul Gandhi’s Interaction - ‘Living under fear of privatisation’: Shri Rahul Gandhi highlights problems faced by DTC workers

New Delhi: The Leader of Opposition Shri Rahul Gandhi on August 28, 2024, interacted with the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) bus drivers and conductors, highlighting that they were “constantly living under the fear of privatisation” with “no stable income or permanent job”.

“No social security, no stable income and no permanent job – contractual labour has reduced a job of great responsibility to a state of compulsion,” wrote Shri Gandhi on his social media.

“Troubled by this neglect, DTC workers, like government employees across the country, are constantly living under the fear of privatisation. These are the people who run India, who facilitate the travel of millions of commuters every day – but all they have got in return for their dedication is injustice,” Congress leader Shri Rahul Gandhi stated on Facebook.

A video released on social media account started with Shri Rahul Gandhi taking an Uber ride with a driver whom he had previously met. After introducing him to his mother, Shri Rahul Gandhi travelled with him to the Sarojini Nagar Bus Depot, where he had interacted with DTC drivers, conductors, and marshals.

During the interaction with the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) bus drivers, Shri Rahul Gandhi inquired about their work hours. The drivers responded that they are supposed to work eight hours, but often end up working more than two hours extra.

The Congress leader then inquired about how he can help them, to which the drivers responded with their need for permanent employment and timely salaries. “Our salaries have not been paid for 5 months. The state and centre are playing the blame game. They say funds have not been released. They have further stated that salaries won’t be credited for 2 more months. This is affecting our families; if we can’t pay our children’s fees or admit them to school, their futures will be destroyed,” a DTC driver said.

A conductor from the DTC added during the interaction that they work on a contractual basis, with their contracts renewed annually. “If our duty hours are reduced, they don’t renew the contract,” he said. “Our demand is to make our jobs permanent. Samaan vetan aur samaan kaam hona chahiye (We want equal work, equal pay). When Sheila Dikshit was in office, she made us permanent employees,” he continued.