BMC seeks time,staff put off strike plan

The cash-strapped BMC,which already spends close to 65 per cent of its annual revenue on establishment costs,had agreed to an 18-per cent hike in salaries,but the unions had demanded that the Sixth Pay Commission recommendations should be implemented in the manner in which they have implemented for the Central government employees.

The decision to postpone the strike came in a meeting among Mayor Shraddha Jadhav,municipal commissoner Swadheen Kshatriya and Sharad Rao. The administration said it would require 20 days to reconsider the unions’ demands. “The annual burden on the BMC will increase by Rs 1,700 crore as per their demands while the proposed hike by the administration will bring an additional burden of Rs 1,100 crore. We will try to work out a middle path and solve the issue amicably. As of now,they have agreed not to go on strike,” Jadhav said.

Civic workers from all departments,including water,hospitals and conservancy staff,had threatened to stay away from work. The unions had also claimed that the BMC had not paid salary arrears since 2006 when the Sixth Pay Commission was to be implemented. “We have given the administration time till December 10 to work around our demands. If we are still not content,we will strike work,” Rao said.