By 34th day of MSRTC strike, nearly 20,000 staffers resume work

MSRTC staff protest at Azad Maidan on Tuesday. Pic/Suresh Karkera

The MSRTC strike has split the workforce with nearly 20,000 joining back, thousands suspended, and buses stoned and damaged by staffers.

"The MSRTC operated 1,086 buses, including 822 ordinary ones, on various routes from 50 depots till Monday evening. On Tuesday evening, the number reached 960," a spokesperson of the MSRTC said. Till Monday, the corporation had suspended the services of 7,585 permanent employees and 1,779 daily wage workers, an official said.

Officials said that of the 92,266 employees on roll, 19,086 had resumed duty till Tuesday evening and 73,180 are yet to join duty. On Tuesday, 610 employees were suspended taking the total suspensions to 8,195 and 80 were dismissed taking the total dismissals to 1,827.

Protesters claimed that the government is using pressure tactics to break the strike by suspending them from duty and terminating their employment. State Transport Minister Anil Parab had last week announced a hike of up to 41 per cent on the basic salaries of staffers in order to end the strike, but protestors have remained firm on their stand stating that they will not withdraw the strike till the cash-strapped organisation was merged with the state government.

A number of buses that are being taken out on duty are being increasingly vandalised by protesting staffers and the corporation has registered 50 FIRs during the month-long strike against protestors and 31 cases specifically related to vandalism of buses.

MSRTC employees went on an indefinite strike from October 28 over their demand for merger of the cash-strapped corporation with the state government but the protest intensified after the Diwali festival. A Bombay High Court appointed committee is looking into the demand and the government has offered an interim salary hike, but employees have remained adamant.