All MSRTC bus depots shut as employees hold statewide strike in Maharashtra

CM Thackeray hit out at the opposition parties for `instigating` the MSRTC employees for their political gains.

Mumbai: Bus operations at all 250 depots of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) were shut on Wednesday due to the strike by its employees over the demand for a merger of the loss-making corporation with the state government, officials said.

Hundreds of MSRTC employees from across the state converged in Mumbai in the afternoon and held a rally at the Azad Maidan to press for their demand, even as Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray appealed to them not to hold the poor people hostage by continuing their protest, and cooperate with the government in its effort to resolve their issues.

Thackeray also hit out at the opposition parties for "instigating" the MSRTC employees for their political gains and said this is not the time to play politics.

"All 250 depots are shut across the state today. Yesterday, at least three depots were functional, but those are also shut," an MSRTC official said.

A section of the MSRTC employees had not been reporting for duty since October 28 seeking a merger of the cash-strapped corporation with the state government. They intensified their agitation after the Diwali festival concluded last week.

The Bombay High Court on Monday expressed displeasure over the protest and the state government had appealed to the employees resume their duty, but they have refused to budge.

Lakhs of passengers were facing hardships as the MSRTC buses were off roads.

The Maharashtra government has permitted private buses and goods vehicles to ferry passengers, but those are insufficient, according to officials of the Regional Transport Office (RTO).

Maharashtra Transport Minister Anil Parab, who is also chairman of the MSRTC, has called a meeting with the action committee of labour unions of the corporation here later in the day over the issue of their strike.

The MSRTC is one of the biggest state transport corporations in the country with a fleet of more than 16,000 buses and around 93,000 employees, including drivers and conductors. The corporation used to ferry over 65 lakh passengers daily before the coronavirus outbreak last year.

On Wednesday afternoon, hundreds of MSRTC employees arrived here from across the state and held a rally at the Azad Maidan in south Mumbai.

Leader of Opposition in the state Legislative Council Pravin Darekar, BJP legislators Gopichand Padalkar, Sadabhau Khot, former BJP MP Kirit Somaiya and other leaders were present at the rally.

Addressing the protesters at the rally, Darekar said they do not believe in oral assurance, hence the agitation will continue till minister Parab gives a written assurance over the MSRTC merger issue.

Talking to PTI, Khot claimed that police stopped nine vehicles of women MSRTC employees at various locations in neighbouring Navi Mumbai while they were trying to reach the state capital.

In the wake of the agitation, the city police had beefed up security at the Azad Maidan and the state secretariat 'Mantralaya'.

CM Thackeray in a statement said, "Since the last few days, the government has taken steps to address the issues. Even the high court is satisfied with the steps taken by the government to address the issues of MSRTC employees.

"In such circumstances, I appeal to you with folded hands not to hold poor people of the state hostage," he said. Thackeray said the state has been battling the coronavirus pandemic for nearly two years now.

"So please cooperate with the state government," he added

On Tuesday, the MSRTC had suspended 376 employees from 45 depots in the state for allegedly participating and instigating the strike.

The move to suspend the employees came after the high court deprecated their "adamant stand" of not withdrawing their stir despite the government extending full cooperation and setting up a panel to address their merger demand.

Parab had on Wednesday said a contempt petition was being filed over the ongoing strike.

"From our side, we have done everything that was to be done," he had said, adding that a decision on the demand of the merger of the MSRTC will be taken by a committee set up on the HC's directive.

Appealing to unions to call off strike, Parab had said MSRTC was under a huge financial burden.

"In the last two years of COVID-19 pandemic, the situation has further worsened. Currently, the cumulative loss is Rs 12,000 crore," he had said.

The merger decision cannot be taken in one day, he added.