MSRTC workers who risked lives for Covid duty to get 50% salary after 15-day delay

MUMBAI: More than 1.05 lakh employees of MSRTC - the state's road transport agency -will receive only half of their already-delayed salaries for May. The salary should have been credited by June 7. This decision has been spurred by "huge" losses that the MSRTC has incurred over the past few months. The loss tots up to Rs 6,000 crore - or Rs 22 crore per day, said sources.
MSRTC's managing director Shekhar Channe said this is a "temporary" measure to cut cost. "The balance salary could be paid in the coming months as the financial situation improves," he claimed.
During the lockdown, MSRTC had stepped in to transport migrants to railway stations. Also, when BEST workers had recently threatened to go on strike, the MSRTC had promised to fill in with its buses and employees, if required. The salary cut has, therefore, demoralised employees, especially those who had exhibited alacrity by reporting on duty in the time of need.
An MSRTC driver said he, and many others, had ventured out on duty to ferry employees of essential services. "We are upset about getting only 50% of our salary for May," said the driver who spoke on the condition of anonymity. The employees' union has demanded that more than 70,000 frontline workers, including drivers and conductors who risked their lives to report on duty during the Covid pandemic, be paid their full salaries. A discussion in this regard is scheduled to be held between officials and union representatives on Thursday, said sources.
A leader of Maharashtra ST Karmachari Congress, Shrirang Barge said a majority of low-income employees whose gross salary is no more than Rs 18,000 will be paid Rs 9,000. If you factor in deductions and loan instalments, they will be left with Rs 3,000 at most. "How will they feed their families and pay for other expenses?" he asked.