Gujarat: Govt accepts most demands regarding salary and allowances

The government decision will benefit around 37,000 GSTRC employees of Class III and Class IV, including around 30,000 drivers and conductors. This is the first time since 1997 that allowances of the staff of the public transport service provider have been revised upwardly.

Among the key demands accepted by the government include increasing the grade pay of drivers from Rs1,800 to Rs1,900 and that of conductors from Rs1,650 to Rs1,800 with effect from October, 2021. Around 30,000 drivers and conductors will get around Rs15 crore arrears of their higher grade pay by October 1, a release from the GSRTC said.

The government also agreed to increase dearness allowance (DA) by 11 per cent with effect from July, 2021 onwards and additional 3 per cent from February 2023 onwards. Drivers and conductors who are serving the five-year-long probation and are getting fixed salary will get Rs18,500 monthly fixed salary instead of Rs16,000. The government’s decision came in the backdrop of a warning by the employees to proceed on leave en masse from Thursday to proceed for their demands. GSRTC has a fleet of 8,000 buses and an average 25 lakh passengers use its services daily.

“The government accepted most of our demands, including the complex issue of assigning only one duty to driver-cum-conductors. In negotiations, one can’t have his way in all matters. Our demand was to pay the fixed-salary for employees – Rs 19,950, at par with employees of the state government. But the government offered us Rs 18,500 and we accepted it,” Kanaksinh Gohil, president of ST Mazdoor Mahasangh (Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh), of the three recognised unions of GSRTC employees said.

A senior officer of GSRTC said that the government’s decision will increase the burden on the state’s exchequer but leniency was needed to keep the public transport services going.