After the Maharashtra Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) filed a contempt petition, the Bombay High Court (HC) on Wednesday, November 10, directed the Maharashtra Rajya Kanishth Vetanshreni ST Karmachari Sanghatana to file a reply in its response against (ST) employees and staff that went on strike since the last two weeks.
The vacation bench of justice SJ Kathawalla and justice Surendra Tavade, which was hearing the contempt petition filed by the MSRTC against the employee union and 302 individuals, was informed that though court had restrained the employees from going on strike last week they had breached the court order.
In addition, the contempt petition is also against the breach of the restraining order passed by the HC wherein the union members were told not to go on strike and the refusal of the striking employees and staff to join duty though a committee as sought by the them to hear their grievances was constituted on November 8.
According to reports, on the same day, 542 more employees were suspended. With this, the number of staffers who have been suspended so far rose to 918.
All these employees suspended are from 63 bus depots excluding regional workshops. The highest number of 58 employees were suspended from bus depots in the Sangli district in western Maharashtra, followed by 46 employees from Nagpur and Yawatmal districts on Wednesday, the official said.
Earlier, the 376 employees were suspended who participated in the strike and were accused of provoking others to stay off duties. Of these 58 workers each from Nanded and Sangli, 57 from Yavatmal and 40 staffers from Wardha.
The employees, staff and union of MSRTC had called a strike from midnight of November 3, as their demand for being treated at par with government employees was not fulfilled. The employees had also been agitating for non-payment of their salaries for three months.
The employees are on strike demanding a pay hike and be classified as state government employees.
Though the authorities have not confirmed the claim, the employee unions have said that 37 MSRTC workers have died by suicide in the last two years due to financial crises.
The cash-strapped MSRTC, one of the country’s largest transport corporations with 96,000 employees, is struggling to pay salaries for the last two years.
Also Read: Amid MSRTC Bus Strike, State Government Permits Private Buses To Ply As Public Transport
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