Delhi Metro services to be hit as talks with protesting employees fail

New Delhi: Commuters across Delhi could face a lot of difficulties on Saturday as non-executive employees of Delhi Metro are all set to go on an indefinite strike. This after talks with DMRC officials and Labour Commission both failed to provide any breakthrough.

While Delhi's Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot directed DMRC to find a solution and end the current deadlock, no breakthrough was achieved till the time of filing this report. As such, non-executive employees, who have raised a number of pay-related issues and who have been protesting since June 19 - are expected to go on an indefinite strike Saturday onwards.

A lifeline for thousands of commuters in the city, Delhi Metro is the fulcrum of the city's entire public transportation network. And while Saturday might see lesser rush as it is the start of the weekend, Delhi-ites on the move may have to look at alternate means of transportation.

Close to 9000 non-executive employees of Delhi Metro have highlighted pay-related issues and have been protesting since June 19. They have also termed the termination of contract for two fellow employees as 'illegal.' On Thursday, Delhi Metro in a press release said that officials had met the protesting employees and that their concerns were heard but no positive outcome came of it. The same was the case on Friday as well.

"Our first demand is that that the DMRC Staff Council be changed to a DMRC employees union as the council is not a constitutional body and so, it does not have any teeth,"  DMRC Staff Council secretary Ravi Bhardwaj told news agency PTI. "Other demands include implementation of our Industrial Dearness Allowance (IDA) as per the 3rd pay revision scale. If our demands are not met by June 29, we will go on complete hunger strike and work in that condition, and drivers will drive trains in that condition. And, if anything happens to our members or to commuters then the DMRC shall be responsible for it."