MSRTC strike: 4 days after stir, some staffers return to work

MSRTC’s 250 bus depots were shut after a section of employees called for a strike from Monday morning, demanding a rise in salary, merger of corporation with the state govt, among other demands

MUMBAI Five days after Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation’s (MSRTC) bus services came to standstill owing to the state-wide strike, some employees have started returning to work from Friday.

MSRTC operated 36 buses from various depots on the Dadar-Pune, Mumbai-Satara, Nashik-Pune, Pune-Thane, Nashik-Dhule, Solapur-Akkalkot and Rajapur-Burmbewadi routes. A total of 17 buses were operated from Mumbai, including from Dadar and Mumbai Central bus depots. (HT PHOTO)

The corporation operated 36 buses from various depots on the Dadar-Pune, Mumbai-Satara, Nashik-Pune, Pune-Thane, Nashik-Dhule, Solapur-Akkalkot and Rajapur-Burmbewadi routes. A total of 17 buses were operated from Mumbai, including from Dadar and Mumbai Central bus depots.

The BrihanMumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) also operated additional buses on MSRTC routes from Panvel and Dadar, among other places.

“Employees are returning to work slowly. We had nearly 2,000 employees returning to work from the mechanical and transport departments and are expecting more to return soon. We are trying our best to reduce commuting hassles and will resume bus services in full strength. Employees are being provided protection and we will pay salaries to all of them,” said a senior MSRTC official.

MSRTC’s 250 bus depots were shut after a section of employees called for a strike from Monday morning, demanding an increase in salary, merger of the corporation with the Maharashtra government, increase of dearness and house rent allowances.

MSRTC, which is one of the largest transport corporations in India, has suffered a loss of ₹126.49 crore owing to the employees’ strike. The organisation has stated that the accumulated losses of the organisation are around is ₹12,000 crore.

Meanwhile, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray met Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar at the latter’s residence Silver Oak in south Mumbai on Friday over the issue. Thackeray was accompanied by representatives of MSRTC employees and senior MNS leaders.

MNS leader Bala Nandgaonkar said Pawar heard the employees’ demands and assured to resolve the matter.

“As chief minister (Uddhav Thackeray) and deputy CM and finance minister (Ajit Pawar) are unwell, Raj saheb decided to meet the NCP chief after a delegation of MSRTC employees approached him on Thursday, requesting his help in resolving their issues. We want the issue to be resolved and no employee should be forced to take the extreme steps of suicide. More than one lakh MSRTC employees are suffering from financial crisis and we want them to come out of this situation,” Nandgaonkar told reporters after the Thackeray-Pawar meet.