Finally, the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) employees have called off their four-day strike after the Bombay High Court order termed the strike ‘illegal’ and directed the State government to formulate a high-level committee to resolve the grievances of the staffers.
The strike started from Monday midnight. The drivers, conductors and other staffers of the State Transport were on an ‘indefinite strike’ since October 17 for their demands pertaining to pay hike.
There are hundreds of versions of the strike and passengers problems, but no one is talking about the drivers and conductors’ problems. There was also discussion about the demands being genuine or not. Employees were demanding Rs 5,000 to Rs 20,000 hike in their salaries, besides the House Rent Allowance (HRA) and other benefits according to the 7th Pay Commission.
The State government held several rounds of meetings with the MSRTC union representatives but to no avail.
The planning of the strike began from May 2017. The union started the signature campaign in June. Nearly 1 lakh employees participated in this campaign. When a decade-long demand was still pending, the workers decided to go on a strike.
If one goes to the root of it, one would realise that it is major mismanagement of years which led to this situation in the ST.
For the employees, it’s a really bad situation. They are suffering in silence for decades and it’s too much. There are several other factors that are unaddressed for years such as the threat of privatisation, labour agreement among other things.
The transport minister remaining mum has added fuel to the fire.
It is very difficult to run a family of four for the head of the family if he is an ST employee. The salary of a driver is only Rs 14,000 per month and conductors get only Rs 10,000 per month.
A driver works for more than 14 to 18 hours and has no time to go home or take rest. It has been observed that drivers who ply the bus from Pune to Mumbai get the salary of Rs 14,000 and have been working in MSRTC since 18 years. At the end of the month, all he gets as salary is only Rs 4,000 or 4,500.
The reason behind this is the deduction from salaries in different parts.Though youths eagerly join this organisation, low salary is one of the reasons why many drop out in the first year. The government gives a different logic.
The transport minister said it will not be possible to give 7th Pay Commission to ST employees even after 25 years. If the salary increase happens to that level they will have to double the transport fare. This will put a burden on travellers and the middle class commutes by ST buses. How will they afford the hiked fare?
The workers are getting peanuts for salary. If they are working for more than 14 hours, why shouldn’t the ST workers go on strike?
The employees also want an answer from the government. It is now up to the government to take a take a decision of the hike in their salary but without putting a burden on passengers.
