ST staff dues meeting ends without result; union threatens agitation

Mumbai: A meeting on the financial demands of employees of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (ST) on Tuesday, November 3, ended without a resolution. The meeting had been called to find a way to clear the employees' pending dues, but the talks did not progress.

Shrirang Barge, general secretary of the Maharashtra ST Karmachari Congress, shared the details. According to him, Madhav Kusekar, vice chairman and managing director of the ST corporation, said at the meeting that the lack of funds was making it difficult to pay the employees' outstanding amounts. In effect, he expressed the corporation's inability to pay.

Barge asked how employees would receive benefits such as provident fund (PF), gratuity, Diwali bonus and dearness allowance when a shortfall of Rs 1,338.15 crore has persisted for the past twelve months for salaries alone. He said the financial strain had caused deep resentment among employees. Despite repeated demands, the money issues remain unresolved, and anger is growing, he said.

The employees' union alleges that during the long strike by ST employees, the state government promised before a three-member committee to provide the necessary funds to the corporation. According to the union, that promise has not been fulfilled so far. For this reason, the union forcefully demanded at the meeting that the corporation file a contempt petition against the government. Barge said that sending letters to the government every month would not solve the employees' financial problems.

According to Barge, these issues cannot be resolved at the level of the corporation's managing director alone. He therefore demanded that the Chief Minister and the Finance Minister hold a meeting immediately and decide on the employees' demands. He also said the administration was only giving assurances while no actual money was reaching the employees. He warned that there would be no option but to agitate.

Meanwhile, at Tuesday's meeting, Kusekar assured that a meeting would be held on November 6 in the presence of Deputy Chief Minister and Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik. Tuesday's meeting ended after that.

Employees are now waiting for the November 6 meeting to see what is decided on their pending financial demands. If no concrete decision emerges at that meeting either, an agitation may break out again in the ST corporation. What stand Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik takes in the matter will be important to watch.