A day after much back and forth on the issue of compensation for the family of their colleague killed in a road- rage incident over the weekend and other concerns expressed by unions representing the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) employees triggered a stand-off between the public transporter and the Delhi government, the former called off the strike on Tuesday.
The decision, which was welcomed by lakhs of commuters dependent on DTC, came in the wake of the government invoking the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) earlier in the day. The Act prohibits any strike that may affect the delivery of essential public utilities or services.
With about 4,700 buses in its fleet, the DTC caters to a daily ridership of close to 40 lakh commuters everyday.
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Earlier in the day, Transport Minister Gopal Rai warned the agitating DTC staff of disciplinary action in the interests of the Capital’s commuters even as the strike entered Day Two and the unions threatened to continue the same.
“If they still don’t come back, they will be removed from duty. The unions need to decide whether they want to serve the people of Delhi or the BJP’s agenda,” said Mr. Rai.
The agitating employees were demanding a compensation of Rs.1 crore for the kin of 42-year-old Ashok Kumar, who was killed in a road-rage incident in Mundka on Sunday.
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On Monday, the government had termed the strike illegal and alleged that it was politically motivated. It even pointed fingers at the BJP for stoking discontent among DTC employees. Delhi Congress chief Ajay Maken termed the imposition of ESMA “unfortunate”.