A major strike by Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation employees for salary hikes and other demands severely disrupted services on Tuesday ahead of the Ganesh festival, leaving thousands of passengers in the lurch.
The employees are demanding salary parity with state government employees, seeking a pay scale adjustment to match that of their counterparts in the state sector.
As the strike launched by the action committee of 11 trade unions began at midnight, services at 59 of the 251 MSRTC depots were entirely suspended, while 77 depots faced partial disruptions. Services remained unaffected at 115 depots, an MSRTC spokesperson said.
Chief Minister Eknath Shinde appealed to the striking employees to call off the protest in view of the Ganesh festival, assuring them to resolve their issues through discussion.
Shinde, who holds the transport portfolio and is also chairman of MSRTC, has called a meeting on Wednesday evening.
Earlier in the day, a meeting convened by state industries minister Uday Samant on Tuesday remained inconclusive.
Due to the strike, the MSRTC couldn't operate 45 extra Ganapati special buses for the coastal Konkan region.
This included 21 buses from Mumbai, 22 from Thane, and two from Palghar division. Overall, 50% of bus operations were cancelled, with 11,943 out of 22,389 scheduled services not running.
Mumbai-Pune e-Shivneri bus service functioned smoothly.
MSRTC officials claimed the extra Ganpati festival special services operated smoothly on the first day despite the strike. However, the impact would be felt gradually given that more than 1,000 extra buses are scheduled to depart from Mumbai in the coming days.
A total of 5,000 extra Ganapati special buses of MSRTC, including 4,300 services booked by groups, are scheduled to operate this week.
The strike has led to an estimated revenue loss of Rs 14-15 crore on the first day.
The MSRTC administration said that the industrial court has declared the strike illegal and instructed trade unions and employees to resume work. The corporation has also instructed local authorities to file FIRs against individuals obstructing employees willing to join duty and video record such incidents.
In response to the strike's impact, the MSRTC is considering the appointment of drivers and other staff on long-term agreements to ensure uninterrupted service.
The strike, initiated by the Maharashtra State Transport Kamgar Sanyukta Kruti Samiti following failed negotiations last month, has particularly affected bus operations in Pune and Nashik districts and other regions of the state.
The Ganapati festival, beginning September 7, is a major celebration in Maharashtra, especially in the coastal Konkan region. The MSRTC had planned to operate 5,000 extra special buses between September 3 and 7 from Mumbai, Thane and Palghar divisions.
The Chief Minister has emphasised the need for employees to consider the difficulties faced by commuters relying on the bus services during this critical period.
"We have resolved major issues through a positive discussion. Your issues will also be resolved," Shinde said urging MSRTC employees to call off the strike.
In addition, the Central Railway has offered to run unreserved trains from Diva and Panvel stations in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region for Konkan travel, if requested by the state government.
The MSRTC is one of the largest public transport corporations in the country with a fleet of around 15,000 buses and a workforce of 90,000. As more than 60 lakh passengers are ferried by the ST buses, this service is also called the lifeline of Maharashtra.
In October 2021, thousands of MSRTC workers went on an indefinite strike demanding that they be treated on par with state government employees and that the cash-strapped transport corporation be merged with the government. The strike continued for several months, causing inconvenience to people.
Finally, the Bombay high court stepped in and directed the protesting workers to resume duties by April 15, 2022.
