Ahead of Ganeshotsav, the State Transport (ST) Employees Association has announced an indefinite strike. Since Monday, ST employees have begun a statewide protest, demanding that their salaries be equal to those of state government employees. The union is also calling for immediate action on various issues, including financial matters and privatization, before the Legislative Assembly’s code of conduct is imposed.
ST Workers’ Demands: The dissatisfaction among ST workers stems from unresolved financial and operational issues. A joint action committee, comprising various organizations within the ST Corporation, is pushing for:
- Salaries equivalent to those of state government employees
- Implementation of the Seventh Pay Commission
- Resolution of discrepancies in previous salary increases
- Payment of arrears for dearness allowance
- Correction of errors in previous contracts
- Revisions to disciplinary procedures and their application
- Extension of the medical cashless scheme to all employees
Ganpati, one of Maharashtra’s most celebrated festivals, is particularly significant in the Konkan belt. MSRTC had planned to deploy 5,000 extra Ganpati special buses from September 3-7, serving routes from Mumbai, Thane, and Palghar. However, if the strike continues, passengers with bookings to travel for the festival may face significant difficulties.
The strike has notably impacted bus depots in Pune, Satara, Sangli, and Nashik, affecting overall bus and passenger movement. MSRTC, one of the largest public transport corporations in the country, operates approximately 15,000 buses and employs 90,000 people. With over 6 million passengers daily, MSRTC buses are considered a lifeline for Maharashtra. The State Transport Corporation’s state-level trade union executive held a meeting on August 14 and gave the state government until August 27 to accept the pending demands of the workers. Then, on August 28, the district-level executive of the workers staged demonstrations and warned that ST Corporation workers would go on strike from September 3. However, as the state government did not address the workers’ demands, it adversely affected the day-to-day operations of the ST Corporation. On Friday, traffic was disrupted in many places. As of 8 am today, 96 out of 251 ST stations across the state are completely closed. Traffic is partially running in 82 depots, while operations are running smoothly in 73 depots.
During the Maha Vikas Aghadi government’s tenure, opposition figures accused Gunaratna Sadavarte of being a puppet used to stir unrest in the state. Sadavarte, who claimed to represent the thousands of MSRTC employees on strike since November 2021, garnered significant attention after MSRTC workers protested outside NCP chief Sharad Pawar’s residence in Mumbai. Although Sadavarte was not at the protest, he was detained for questioning about his role in inciting the workers. Now, with a new government in place, ST bus workers continue to push for their rights. However, Sadavarte has changed his position, advising MSRTC employees to halt their protests and wait for their demands to be addressed. This shift has exposed Sadavarte’s double standards and raised questions about his true intentions. However, the advocate is increasingly alleged to be the one leading the strike at the behest of opposition parties in the state. On Friday, he is said to have made provocative statements leading to the protest getting out of hand. In 2018, the Maharashtra government granted reservation to the Maratha community under the ‘Social and Educational Backwardness (SEBC)’ category. However, Sadavarte argued in the Supreme Court that this reservation was unconstitutional and should not be upheld. On May 5, 2021, a five-judge bench of the Supreme Court unanimously revoked the reservation granted to the Maratha community under the SEBC category.
In the meantime, MSRTC employees, numbering over 90,000, have been on strike since November 2021. On Friday afternoon, they held a dramatic protest outside ‘Silver Oak,’ the residence of NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Pedder Road. The protesters, including many women, accused the veteran leader of failing to support their cause. During the protest, demonstrators shouted slogans, and some even threw footwear at the residence in their frustration.
Gunaratna Sadavarte has been exposed for his apparent double standards and conflicting roles. While aligning himself with the ruling government, he accused opposition leaders Sharad Pawar and Uddhav Thackeray of instigating the State Transport (ST) bus strike. Sadavarte pointed out that these opposition figures allegedly promised to support those who create unrest. He further claimed that members of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (the opposition coalition) are gradually starting to take steps in this direction. Sadavarte emphasized that no one will receive any percentage of the spoils or benefits, implying that the opposition’s efforts to create unrest would be in vain.
Sadavarte also mentioned that Chief Minister Eknath Shinde had been planning to announce the implementation of the Seventh Pay Commission during the Dussehra Mela, a move that would benefit government employees. However, according to Sadavarte, certain organizations intervened and halted the agreement that could have led to the announcement. He emphasized that despite leading a group of 65,000 employees, the organizations led by MLAs Padalkar and Pavaskar did not participate in the strike. The key issue, according to Sadavarte, remains whether the employees of the MSRTC will ever receive justice, given the political infighting and stalled decisions. In essence, Sadavarte is portraying himself as a leader striving for employee welfare while accusing the opposition of creating unrest and obstructing progress for political gain.
