Govt has suspended thousands of staffers, but they should feel our pain: MSRTC staffers

While there is no union or leader to steer the protest, the personnel have come here from across the state on their own. On strike since October 27, they are seeking to be treated as government employees and be able to avail of salaries and benefits like government servants.

“The government is saying in the media that the merger(of MSRTC in state Government)is not possible. Then why did they promise it in the election manifesto?” asked a worker, referring to the NCP manifesto.

“Do they want to just break our unity and strike using the divide and rule formula? They have suspended thousands of employees instead of solving our problems and understand how we are suffering due to the less salary,” several workers said.

Even as the biggest union is not directly participating in the strike and staffers are paying for their own food and water, civil society groups such as Commons Mumbaikars have come forward to help and are providing biscuits, water bottles, fruits and even organising lunches and dinners.

On Tuesday, a religious NGO called Swami Samarth Math from Ghatkopar provided lunch.

Nitin Shinde, a staffer from Panvel, said, “We spent money from our pockets to come here. The public is also empathising and supporting our demands.”

According to the staffers, though the strikes are on at depots, they gathered at Azad Maidan hoping that proximity to the seat of power may help their cause.
“We realised that even after two weeks of strike, the government was not trying to resolve the issue but attempting to break the strike. Hence we spontaneously came here, thinking that at least then they would listen to our issues,” said Giri Gosavi.

The staffers said they have no union, but two leaders — BJP MLC Gopichand Padalkar and Rahat Kranti chief Sadabhau Khot — are giving them support.
“We have only one demand — that the government understand the issues of low wages and increment, and give us in writing that they are accepting our demands of merger,” said Anant Velunde, who works in a depot.

“I joined ST in 2012 and used to get a salary of Rs 15,000 in hand. Now, after nine years, I am getting the same salary. Thankfully I don’t have a loan but it’s still insufficient to run a household,” said Ratnakar Kolambe, a conductor working with the Thane depot.

The corporation has 28 workers’ trade unions, of which three major unions are affiliated with the three ruling parties and they are not participated in the strike.

The staffers said the strike is not organised by any political party or union. The BJP leaders, however, have been accused of fuelling and taking over the protest for political gains.

Shivaji Ghangale, a protesting staffer, said, “This is not the BJP’s protest, but if they are supporting our cause then there is no problem. They are not even using their flag here. One thing is clear — the strike will end only when the government accepts our demand of merging the corporation with the state government.”