Indefinite strike of govt employees in Maha after 44 years

Mumbai: After 44 years, the state has witnessed another indefinite strike of government employees, with 1

Mumbai: After 44 years, the state has witnessed another indefinite strike of government employees, with 1.8 million people striking work to press their demand for implementation of the old pension scheme (OPS) in Maharashtra. As a result, work in most state government offices was badly affected on Tuesday.

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In Mantralaya, only 3,138 of the total 11,992 staff members were present. The strike has affected government hospitals and government-run schools and colleges the most, as all Class 3 and Class 4 employees have gone off duty. At many hospitals, services crumbled in the absence of nurses, ward boys and other staff.

As teaching and non-teaching staff also participated in the strike, most government-run schools and colleges had to shut down. Teachers in colleges where board examinations were going on attended, albeit wearing black ribbons as a mark of protest.

The steering committee of all the unions claimed that the first day was a big success as 100 percent employees remained absent from the work. They will continue their protest, as the state government has made no attempt to call for deliberations.

While announcing the panel in the assembly, Shinde also said that the government was “positive” about the demand but it was necessary to consider all the available alternatives before taking any decision. “Their retirement is not coming today or tomorrow and thus there is no need to go on strike,” he said. “We are also ready to include those who will retire in the next three months in the decision. I request all employees to come back to work.”

On Monday, the employees not only remained on strike but also held protests outside their offices in most districts across the state. The strike impacted government offices in both rural areas and urban areas as zilla parishad and municipal council employees also participated. As municipal corporation employees, including BMC employees, refrained from going on strike, its impact was not felt in Mumbai and other major cities of the state.

“We have held symbolic strikes of a day or two but an indefinite strike has been called after a gap of 44 years,” said Vishwas Katkar, convenor of the steering committee of government employees’ unions. “The last time was in December 1977 when state government employees went on an indefinite strike which lasted for 54 days.”

Opposition members staged a walk-out in the legislative council in support of the OPS demand. Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray declared his support and asked why the Shinde-Fadnavis government was dilly-dallying on the issue when many states had implemented it. “The state government should have no worries about implementing OPS, as a superpower is standing behind them,” Thackeray jibed in a covert reference to the Shinde-led government joining hands with the BJP.

Opposition leader Ajit Pawar said that the government needed to immediately find a way out of the situation. “People are suffering because of the deadlock between employees and the state government,” Pawar said in the assembly, and requested Speaker Rahul Narvekar to direct the state government to clear its stand on the issue.

BOX

Health

The state-run Sir J J Group of Hospitals did not face any problem on Day 1 of the strike though its nurses, technicians, clerical staff and cleaning staff were absent.

What was done today?

Senior doctors, resident doctors and interns pitched in along with nursing students to ensure that all surgeries and outdoor patient departments ran smoothly. Help of nursing staff from civic-run medical colleges was taken.

Plans for tomorrow

To take more nursing staff help from civic-run medical colleges

Try to employ cleaning employees on a contractual basis

Education:

What worked today?

Although schoolteachers’ unions supported the strike, state schools continued to function. Some school teachers attended school with black ribbons.

Bombay University and College Teachers’ Union (BUCTU) strongly supported the strike. Except examination work, all functions, including lectures, were affected.

Class 10 and Class 12 exams was conducted smoothly

Protest done in various colleges during working hours

Plans for tomorrow...

More college teachers to participate tomorrow

Class 10 and Class 12 exams to be conducted smoothly

Transport

BEST bus operations were not affected

Railway unions did not participate though they are backing the implementation of OPS.

BMC

Over 100,000 BMC employees will not join the strike. More than 7,000 civic workers protested on Tuesday against the refusal by the government and BMC to grant OPS to newer employees.