The indefinite strike called by employees of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) entered its 20th day on Tuesday with the agitators refusing to withdraw their main demand for the merger of the loss-making corporation with the State Government.
All 250 bus depots of the MSRTC have been shut since November 9. However, since Monday, nearly 7,000 employees among the 92,000 agitating staffers resumed duty. Thus far, the State government has suspended more than 2,000 MSRTC staffers for continuing to agitate even after the Bombay High Court had declared the strike ‘invalid’.
According to officials, most of the employees who reported to work on Monday were administrative staffers, followed by workshop employees, and some drivers and conductors. The MSRTC has operated over 100 buses since Monday.
Meanwhile, the three-member committee set up by the Government to look into the demands and grievances of the MSRTC employees has asked union leader Ajaykumar Gujar to make a written submission before the panel.
Talks inconclusive
Remarking that the issue could not be resolved through futile agitation, Transport Minister Anil Parab said that he had spoken with representatives of all 28 employee unions of the MSRTC to no avail.
“I have always listened to every grievance put forth by MSRTC employee unions…the question is with whom do I parley now…given that the BJP has been backing this agitation, I have spoken twice with BJP leaders Gopichand Padalkar and Sadabhau Khot. I am not sure now that even they are able to control the agitating MSRTC workers,” Mr. Parab said.
Their key demand is an immediate merger of the cash-strapped MSRTC with the State Government as it will accord the status of Government employees to MSRTC staffers.
