Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) employees’ strike continued on Thursday, a day after the state government announced wage hike to end the nearly month-long strike and almost all depots remained closed.
Transport Minister Anil Parab has now given an ultimatum to the employees to return to work within two days, failing which strict action will be taken by the government.
On Thursday, around 9,705 employees reported to work and till 7 pm, MSRTC managed to run 457 buses and carry 11,188 passengers to and from various depots like Jalgaon, Sangli and Raigad. Buses have started running.
Except 261 buses, all other buses were privately owned and operated by Shivneri and Shivshahi buses.
After the announcement of salary hike BJP MLCs Gopichand Padalkar and Sadabhau Khot, sitting with activists who have been agitating since November 10 at Azad Maidan in south Mumbai, on Thursday morning announced their withdrawal of the strike, claiming that it was the victory of the striking workers and it was the last after the strike. The bar was temporary return. The government has taken two steps forward by increasing the salary.
Both called it a temporary withdrawal and said that if needed in future, they will start the strike again for the merger of MSRTC.
“We are withdrawing the strike. Now it is up to the employees whether they want to continue with the strike or not. We were saying from the beginning that this is not ours but workers’ strike in which we only supported and participated. We are still with the workers and we will come back with them whenever needed.
Meanwhile, the presidents of Sangharsh ST Sangh and State Kanishka Salary Category ST Kamgar Sangathan interacted with the workers at Azad Maidan. Many ST employees are suspended in the state and corporation officials are saying that they will not get the same salary for November. As a result, both organizations said they would not back down and insisted on a strike.
Ajay Kumar Gujar, president of State Kanishka Salary Category ST Kamgar Sangathan, said that the strike would continue. “Let me once again clarify that this fight is of workers and not organized by any political party. There is no power of any political party in this. Political parties are supporting the demands of ST workers as they believe it to be right.
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