Rumours fuelling MSRTC strike

MSRTC workers at Azad Maidan on Friday. Pic/Suresh Karkera

Superstitions to baseless laws, a whole set of quirky rumours instilling a sense of fear and hope among employees has been one of the key reasons that has kept the MSRTC bus employees strike, one of the longest ones in its history so far, going.

Till Thursday evening, after over 70 days, less than 25,000 of the 96,000 employees had joined back for work, keeping just 180 of the 250 depots running, that too partially. Being one of India's biggest public transport bodies with a fleet of 18,000 buses and a staff of 96,000 employees, it is the lifeline of Maharashtra, with almost every village covered by a state transport route.

The Maharashtra government has tried everything from legal battles to harsh actions, but employees are not ready to yield. The government has given them a salary raise, withdrawn suspensions and dismissals and even gave assurance to disburse salary by 10th of every month. This is despite the fact that the MSRTC has been facing its worst financial crisis after the COVID-19 lockdown and restrictions. Passenger numbers have not picked up, leading to losses and lack of funds. The strike is now further fuelling losses.

Employees have been firm on their stand of merging the corporation with the state government, a demand which is being looked into by a court-appointed committee. However, workers have been insisting that the government should do it at once, if it wants them to join back.

"There are about 28 unions and employees are scattered. It is a fact that employees have been suffering and now they want to fight with the corporation and the government for irregular salary disbursement during lockdown. Many elements are taking advantage of the situation to keep the issue alive and are spreading all kinds of messages on social media, justifying their demands and strike call," a senior leader said.

"I have been a fan of the MSRTC all my life and our foundation does all the activities for its goodwill. I am all in support of improving the financial condition of the corporation and welfare of employees, but employees should remember that it will not happen by stopping the wheels of the corporation. If they think by shutting down bus services, they will achieve their rights, they are wrong and they should rethink. A lot of conflicting and instigating messages are doing rounds on social media groups to charge the employees emotionally and confuse them. We appeal to them to not fall prey to such messages," said Rohit Dhende from Bus for Us Foundation.

The top baseless messages on WhatsApp groups

. If any strike continues for 60 days, the chief minister needs to resign.

. If a strike continues for 45 days, it gets legalised and gets redressal.
. Once the code of conduct comes into force for local elections, the governor will take a call on the merger of MSRTC and Maharashtra government.

. Whoever takes out a bus during this stage of strike will be officially deprived of benefits of the MSRTC-Maharashtra government merger and will have to suffer at a later stage.

. The raise given by the government is temporary in nature and can be withdrawn at any point in time.

. There is no Government Resolution (GR) issued about the raise. Hence a raise will not happen at all.

. If one visits the bus depots to join work, they will be suspended on the spot.

. I met a person on train who works at Mantralaya who was saying that the file of the MSRTC-government merger is now being prepared and the state government will announce the merger in one or two days.

. My cousin works in Mantralaya. He was telling me that the government is working on a file to assess how much additional expenditure the government would have to bear in case of MSRTC-government merger.

. The government is keen on breaking the strike and splitting employees' cause because they legally need to show 52 per cent employees at work to declare that the strike is illegal. Hence, friends continue the strike and stay away from work.

. All employees will be paid all the salaries due for the days of the strike.

. Those employees who have not participated in the strike will not be taken on job once the merger happens.

. The government is now scared and under immense pressure.

180
No. of bus depots that are functioning