Union threatens BEST, auto, cab strike on Tuesday if talks fail

MUMBAI, MARCH 25: BEST buses, taxis and autorickshaw drivers will join the indefinite stir launched by over 1.40 lakh employees of the Bri...

MUMBAI, MARCH 25: BEST buses, taxis and autorickshaw drivers will join the indefinite stir launched by over 1.40 lakh employees of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation from midnight on Monday onwards, if talks between the union leaders and the Mayor, scheduled to be held on Sunday, fails.

Announcing this at a press conference called today, trade union leader Sharad Rao said that the civic administration should first “rectify its mistake” for the strike to be called off. Explaining this, Rao said that Municipal Commissioner K Nalinakshan should go back on his decision to withhold the ex-gratia payment for the current year. “Negotiations will follow only after this,” he stressed. The Commissioner also stuck to his guns and maintained that no negotiations would be held till the strike was called off. The meeting called by Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh at his official residence Varsha failed as both the groups remained adamant on their stands. Mayor Hareshwar Patil has decided to intervene in the matter and a meeting with union leaders has been called on Sunday.

As of now, the Chief Minister has decided not to intervene in the matter. But a statement released by the Maharashtra Government today has urged civic workers to call off the strike. Police have been asked to take action against those taking the "law into their hands", it added.

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At the press meet, Rao said that the demands put forth by striking employees of civic bodies other than the BMC have been addressed. The Fifth Pay Commission recommendations will be implemented by May 31, he said, adding, however, that the strike would not be called off in these regions till the demands of the BMC employees were met.

Meanwhile, BMC corporators provided valuable service to the Corporation by organising private contractors, labourers and party workers to carry out cleaning operations in their respective areas. Samajwadi Party leader Yusuf Abrahani, along with the Municipal Commissioner, took up the road cleaning work at Imamwada area in B ward. Abrahani was joined by locals and party leaders. Additional Municipal Commissioner A Jain said that chairpersons of Ward Committees have been instrumental in organising labour when needed.

Meanwhile, incidents of violence continued to mar the fourth day of the stir as reports of attacks on doctors, nurses and the temporary staff brought in to man the hospitals poured in from Cooper Hospital, Oshiwara Maternity Home and Senapati Bapat Marg. “The striking workers even tried to disrupt water supply by damaging water mains at Bandra and Dharavi,” the Commissioner said. The city area continued to remain tense as most of the violent incidents took place in the city where the union has a stronghold.

Continuing with its action against the agitators, the BMC has suspended 202 employees till date, out of which 100 happen to be the Corporation’s security guards. Suspension notices have been issued to 210 more workers. All the 3,800 temporary workers who did not join duty by Friday evening have been removed from service, Jain said. A First Information Report has been lodged against union leaders at Azad Maidan police station, he added.