The labour movement in the financial capital suffered a setback following the death of veteran trade union leader Sharad Rao on Thursday.
Mr. Rao, credited for uniting over a dozen labour unions under his leadership, passed away following a prolonged illness. He was recently admitted to Lilavati Hospital in Bandra after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
He was 76 years old and is survived by wife, son Shashank, a daughter, and grandchildren. According to reports, his body will be kept at his residence at Bangur Nagar in Goregaon, and is likely to be cremated on Saturday after the arrival of his daughter from Canada.
Son of a bus conductor, Mr. Rao’s family was from Kerala, who relocated to Mumbai after Independence. He was born on February 9, 1940, and as a youth, he worked closely with socialist leader George Fernandes, and took charge of the unions after Mr. Fernandes graduated to national politics in Delhi.
“In Mr. Rao we have lost an aggressive leader for the organised and the unorganised workers. Starting his struggles with the Bombay Labour Union, Mr. Rao had a great influence on workers. This is a big loss to the labour movement,” Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said.
While the working Mumbaikars may only remember him for his frequent calls to strikes by the autorickshaw drivers, Mr. Rao’s contribution to improving the living standards of the workers has been invaluable. He brought together the labour class from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport Undertaking, Chatrapati Shivaji International Airport, Thane Municipal Corporation, Maharashtra State Electricity Board, and the Hind Mazdoor Sabha, while heading the autorickshaw, hawkers’ and gumasta unions.
Over the last four decades, he fought hard for an increase in wages of the sanitation workers in the BMC, ensuring permanent jobs for thousands of contract workers at Mumbai airport. He pushed for the autorikshaw drivers to receive constant fare hike, stepped up the pressure on the BMC to issue licences to more hawkers, and pushed for an effective implementation of the national policy on urban street vendors.
While the upper-class Mumbaikars were worried for the commotion hawkers caused in posh neighbourhoods, Mr. Rao’s agitation in April 2013, ensured that the BMC did not evict hawkers overnight even though the Centre had passed the Street Vendors Bill, 2013, for their protection. Under his leadership, wages of the sanitation workers reached Rs. 25,000 per month from the initial Rs. 80 over two decades ago.
“He was the last of the generation of leaders who intensely fought for the cause of the workers and the labourers. There will not be another leader like him,” said Prashant Kakade, his long-time friend and president of Federation of Aviation Workers.
Union leaders said Mr. Rao’s loss is irreparable. “We will never be able to find a replacement for someone who ensured workers’ living conditions improved and their families remained intact. He fought hard to ensure that the auto drivers work in a third shift and run share trips in Mumbai,” said Govind Kamtekar, who had been a close associate since 1987.
Labour union leaders fear Mr. Rao’s loss will leave a gaping hole as Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled States push for aggressive labour reforms.
“At a time when there is so much twisting and tweaking with labour rules and laws, and stress is just on bringing in business, his presence will be felt more,” said Pradeep Menon, union leader and a friend since Mr. Rao’s early days as labour leader at Hindustan Unilever Limited.
