MSRTC strike seeking equal pay halts half of bus operations

The strike has severely affected commuters, particularly those traveling to Konkan for the upcoming Ganesh festival, which begins on September 7.

Ashwini Karande, who was traveling with her family from Mumbai Central to Chiplun, faced significant delays and had to return home due to the lack of available buses. To mitigate the impact on Ganesh festival travel, MSRTC plans to operate an additional 5,000 buses from September 3 to 7, although 4,953 of these buses have already been fully booked.

The MSRTC Employees’ Union initiated the indefinite strike to demand equal pay with employees from other state government departments, along with arrears in dearness and house rent allowances from 2018 to 2024.

Shrirang Barge, general secretary of the Maharashtra ST Union Congress, pointed out that MSRTC employees, especially those in lower grades, face a salary disparity of at least Rs 7,000 compared to their counterparts in other government roles, such as those in Mantralaya or Zilla Parishad.

The union plans to continue the strike until their demands are met and is currently in discussions with the government. Of the 28 unions, 13 are participating in this strike.

MSRTC employs approximately 60,000 workers, including drivers, conductors, mechanics and clerical staff, many of whom supported the strike in large numbers on the first day.

Meanwhile, all district officers of MSRTC have been directed to lodge FIRs against those preventing employees from reporting to duty. They have also been instructed to document these incidents with photographs as evidence.

As a temporary measure, MSRTC is now hiring contract-based employees, including drivers, conductors, and others, on a long-term basis, according to an official MSRTC statement.