MSRTC staff call off strike after Diwali package announced by Transport Minister Sarnaik

The proposed strike by employees of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC), or ST, has been deferred. Union leaders said both the strike and the agitation had been cancelled. The credit is being given to the mediation of Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik, who is also chairman of the MSRTC.

The decision came after Sarnaik announced a Diwali package for the corporation's 83,000 officers and employees. Each will receive an ex gratia payment of Rs 10,000. Eligible employees will be given a festival advance of Rs 12,500. The dearness allowance has also been raised from 58 per cent to 60 per cent.

Sarnaik made the announcement at a meeting with representatives of the various employee unions of the ST corporation. The Rs 10,000 payment is for all 83,000 officers and employees, while the Rs 12,500 advance is only for eligible employees. The dearness allowance rate has gone up by two percentage points.

The minister took the stand that although the corporation is struggling financially, employees cannot be denied the joy of Diwali. By his own estimate, the package will put a financial burden of about Rs 160 crore on the corporation. Even so, he said it was the government's responsibility to ensure employees celebrate Diwali happily.

Sarnaik said, "ST officers and employees work day and night to give lakhs of passengers a safe journey. Keeping this hard work in mind, an ex gratia payment on Diwali is not merely generosity, it is their right."

He also expressed confidence that the ST corporation's future would be bright. He credited the strong support of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Ajit Pawar.

Along with the announcement, Sarnaik had appealed to employees not to take up the weapon of agitation or strike. He said, "ST is the lifeline of ordinary passengers. No agitation should cause passengers hardship." He described employees and passengers as the two key components of the ST. He said the government was always ready to resolve employees' issues through talks.

Union leader Sandeep Shinde said the organisations were withdrawing the strike so that passengers face no inconvenience. According to him, the minister has assured them that the remaining demands will be discussed after Diwali. Shinde said the organisations had also placed their other demands before the transport minister.

Shinde said, "For us, the passenger is God. So that passengers face no difficulty, we are withdrawing the strike." He also referred to the festival rush. In his words, "Even though there are holidays during Diwali, the number of passengers rises by 40 to 45 per cent. On Bhai Dooj alone, it rises by about 60 to 70 per cent."

According to Shinde, employees used to receive a Diwali gift of Rs 6,000 every year, which has gone up by Rs 4,000 this time. A festival advance has also been given and the dearness allowance has risen by two per cent. He said, "We are certainly happy with this."