MVA Govt. announces pay hike; MSRTC workers refuse to budge

Will announce the decision today, say agitation leaders

In a bid to break the impasse on the ongoing strike called by the workers of the cash-strapped Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC), the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) Government has announced a significant pay hike.

State Transport Minister Anil Parab, who announced a 41% wage hike for all MSRTC employees and called upon the agitators to resume duties immediately, said salaries would now be paid before the 10th of every month.

However, the Minister said the Government could not take a decision on the merger as it depended on the recommendations of the high-level committee which was appointed on the directives of the Bombay HC.

“I urge all striking staffers to present themselves at work by 8 a.m. on Thursday. Those who have been terminated will have their terminations revoked once they report for duty,” he said.

However, the strikers refused to budge on their main demand of merger of the MSRTC, with unruly scenes witnessed in Mumbai’s Azad Maidan and other places including Nashik and Aurangabad.

BJP leaders Gopichand Padalkar and Sadabhau Khot, prominent faces of the agitation, said in Mumbai they would decide only after consultation with the agitators.

“We will be talking with the MSRTC employees. We will spend the night in Azad Maidan and announce our decision by Thursday morning,” Mr. Khot said.

Both Mr. Khot and Mr. Padalkar were present at the press conference with Mr. Parab.

As per the offer, the new pay which comes into effect this month, workers with one to ten years of service would see a rise in basic pay by ₹5000.