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Mumbai: The Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) is facing the threat of a major employee agitation after workers' unions served a strike notice over long-pending financial and service-related demands. In a bid to prevent disruption of bus services across the state, Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik has called a meeting of all ST employee unions on June 5 to discuss the issues and explore a solution.
The decision to intensify the agitation was taken at a meeting of the Maharashtra ST Workers' Joint Action Committee held at Mumbai Central. Representatives of 15 labour unions participated in the meeting and unanimously resolved to launch an indefinite protest if their demands remain unaddressed. Following the meeting, an official notice was submitted to MSRTC Vice-Chairman and Managing Director Dr. Madhav Kusekar.
Among the key demands are implementation of pay scales on par with state government employees, restoration of the annual increment rate to 3 per cent under the 2016-2020 wage settlement, payment of pending Dearness Allowance arrears from 2018, and implementation of a 58 per cent DA rate. Employees have also sought a separate budgetary allocation for the corporation, withdrawal of contractual recruitment, introduction of a cashless mediclaim scheme, purchase of corporation-owned electric buses, and a halt to the privatization of MSRTC land assets.
The Joint Action Committee has announced a three-phase agitation programme. On June 15, employees at depots, divisional offices, workshops and the central office will hold bell-ringing and Maha Aarti protests while submitting memorandums to district collectors. Gate meetings will be organised across all divisions on June 22. If no breakthrough is achieved, an indefinite sit-in protest will begin on June 29 at the corporation's central office in Mumbai and at divisional offices and workshops across Maharashtra.
"The government has repeatedly ignored the legitimate demands of ST employees. We are left with no option but to intensify our agitation. The government must take a positive decision immediately; otherwise, a confrontation will be inevitable," said Sandeep Shinde, President of the Joint Action Committee.
Shrirang Barge, General Secretary of Maharashtra ST Employees Congress, said the pending financial demands can only be resolved through direct financial assistance from the state government and urged the government to extend the necessary support.
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