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No solution in sight as MSRTC employees’ strike enters 100th day
The agitating employees did not budge from their demand of merger of the loss-making corporation with the state government
PUNE The strike of Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) employees, which began October 28, 2021, will complete 100 days on Friday with the state-run bus service remaining paralysed in most places.
The agitating employees did not budge from their demand of merger of the loss-making corporation with the state government. Thus, making it as the longest strike of transport body employees in Maharashtra since its formation.
While the strike is causing inconvenience to people, particularly from semi-rural and rural parts, for the corporation, it has led to major loss of revenue, which the government has to ultimately incur. The MVA, which initially took the strike lightly, later made multiple attempts but has not been able to resolve the stand-off.
The government on its part has repeatedly made it clear that the merger is not possible. The employees led in their fight by advocate Gunratan Sadavarte are refusing to relent. At the same time, the deadline given to the three-member committee formed by the Bombay High Court (HC) to take a conclusive decision on the strike also ended on Thursday. The committee has not yet submitted report.
Satej Bunty Patil, minister of state for transport said, “We need to find a permanent solution for the strike. The unions protesting at the Azad Maidan have also withdrawn their strike. The protesting workers are doing it individually and we would appeal them to resume work. Our state transport minister Anil Parab and I are in talks with these workers and hopefully soon the strike will end.”
According to MSRTC officials, currently only 8,000 to 8,500 bus operations are carried out daily from 243 depots across Maharashtra. As a result ,transport operations of over 92 per cent of buses are affected in the state. Till now, of the 92,000 employees in the state 11,024 workers have been suspended and around 27,000 workers, office staffers and officials have resumed work.
“As the strike enters its 100th day, we will continue to stay firm till the organisation is merged with the state government. From tomorrow, we will start a signature campaign drive across the state demanding to implement president’s rule in Maharashtra as this state government has become incompetent to run it,” said Sanjay Munde, a suspended ST driver from Pune division.
The staff including drivers, conductors are protesting outside major ST stands across Pune district. The schools and colleges have reopened in the state and students from the rural areas are finding it difficult to travel. “My college is at Shirval and I stay in a remote village near Bhor Taluka. We are completely dependent on the ST buses to travel. Now, we cannot afford to travel daily by private share vehicles or other modes of transport,” said Vinay Kardale a senior college student.
The state transport corporation, which runs the inter- as well as intra-district public transport services, has been facing a cash crunch before the lockdown and had a debt of ₹3,500 crore. The shutting down of services during the two lockdowns, increased the debt to ₹9,500 crore
Earlier last month, NCP chief Sharad Pawar and transport minister Anil Parab held a meeting with union representatives of the MSRTC, though the workers refused to except mediation of any unions. This, according to MVA members, have complicated the issue.
“There is a shortage of drivers and conductors and not many workers have resumed work last month. Although we have started the contract bus operations of Shivneri and Shivshahi, for the normal ST buses to operate, we are now looking to hire contract-based drivers and have appointed agencies for it,” said Ramakant Gaikwad, MSRTC Pune divisional controller.
