MSRTC suspends 376 employees for instigating strike

MSRTC staff protest at the Kurla ST depot on Monday. Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi

The Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) suspended 376 employees statewide for instigating the strike that entered the 13th day on Tuesday, despite high court restrictions. Sources said these employees from 45 depots were suspended for allegedly instigating others to join the strike.

Only three depots - Gargoti and Kagal in the Kolhapur region and Igatpuri depot in the Nashik region - of the 250 in the state were operational on Tuesday, badly affecting passengers. The state government had, on Monday, permitted buses, school buses, goods vehicles, and contract carriage buses to help ferry passengers stranded during the festival rush.

MSRTC employees went on an indefinite strike from October 28 over their demand for a merger of the corporation with the state government, but intensified the agitation from Sunday, after Diwali concluded.

Contempt petition

Maharashtra Transport Minister Anil Parab on Tuesday said a contempt petition was being filed over the ongoing strike of employees of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC). Initially, an Industrial Court had declared the strike illegal and later the Bombay High Court, too, declared it illegal when some other unions gave the strike call, Parab told reporters.

The high court, in its order, had dubbed the unions' stand "adamant". "Despite this, the strike is on. When on Monday we brought this to the notice of the HC, it suggested that we file a contempt petition," Parab said. The HC was likely to hear the contempt of court plea on Wednesday, he added.

With inputs by Agencies