Now, MSRTC to call back retired staffers

MSRTC bus depot at Nehru Nagar, Kurla remains empty amid the strike called by employees, on Thursday. Pic/Pradeep Dhivar

As protesters remained adamant on continuing the strike, the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation has now called back retired employees, aged below 62 years including those who had opted for voluntary retirement scheme, on monthly compensation basis to keep its buses going.

The MSRTC administration has asked all its divisions to prepare a list of all retired employees aged below 61-and-a-half years. "Those who had been removed from service for serious accidents, mishaps etc should be left out. After a proper assessment and medical fitness, the retired employees would be asked to join service," a senior official said.

"The person would be paid around Rs 20,000 for 26 days (Rs 769 per day) as per prevailing regulations as monthly expense and no other benefit of any kind would be provided. The appointment would be on a temporary basis. Once the person is selected, he would be required to wear the staff uniform and follow other basic rules and be courteous to the general public," stated the MSRTC notice, a copy of which is with mid-day.

The services of these drivers would be used for medium and short routes. By Wednesday evening, 24,239 of the 96,000 employees returned to work with 180 of the 250 depots functioning. Meanwhile, dismissals and suspensions of employees refusing to join work continued.

MSRTC employees went on an indefinite strike from October 28 over their demand for merger of the cash-strapped corporation with the state government which was intensified further after the Diwali festival. Despite giving a salary raise and assurances, there has been a stalemate.

Rs 20,000
Amount to be paid to such staffers per month