Mumbai: The ST employees are planning to protest in ‘Gandhigiri style’ on October 2 in the state ruled by a coalition of the Shiv Sena, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Congress. The adverse impact on state treasure has transformed into a struggle for survival for those who are working with Maharashtra State Transport Corporation (MSRTC) and have not received salaries since July. Its been three months employees are not paid their dues. The coronavirus induced lockdown has left no stone unturned to hit the country’s economy hard and Maharashtra is no exception.
Employees are unable to speak to the fearing of job loss which is already not paying. However their families did not think twice before talking to media. According to a family member of ticket conductor at Panvel depot of Raigad district says we are struggling to make ends meet as her husband is not getting his salary.
She adds, “We will have to run the house. If my husband is not getting his salary, I will have to work and help him for all of us. We need to pay for groceries, our son’s education, as well as medicines for the mother-in-law. We request the state government to pay the dues or else there will be a lot of difficulties ahead,” said Sangita.
The story is similar for the families of 98000 employees of the MSRTC. The total dues to be paid to employees by state amounts to Rs 275 crore per month. They received 15% cut in March month salary, in April 50%, and full salary in May were paid. The delay started in June and since July, these employees have not received a penny.
ST services were not completely stopped, they were still operating on the roads to help government manage COVID-19. Buses were running to carry the labourers till the borders of the state during the peak of labour exodus. Buses were also running to bring the students from Kota in Rajasthan, as well as labourers from Chattisgarh, Telangana, Gujarat and Karnataka. The state government and health employees also travelled via ST buses in Mumbai and suburban areas.
According to the data of ST corporation, the transport services used to earn Rs 26 crores per day before the pandemic hit the country. It has reduced to just Rs 4 crores per day now. ST are suffering from business as cut as people are still worried to travel in ST due to coronavirus.
The Union as well as state governments have issued letters in public interest to the private companies to pay full salary to their staff during the pandemic but government failing to stay on it’s by not paying employees of a semi-government corporation full salary and lapsed by 3 months.
The employees’ unions have now started planning protests to get their dues cleared.
The meetings between the government and employees’ unions are been taken place since August but immediate relief is given. The unions have demanded the immediate release of salaries. The state Transport Department has requested the government for more funds. The ST employees’ unions have been demanding the merger of the transport corporation with the state government for years. As it is a corporation, these workers become semi-government employees.