03 September,2024 06:40 PM IST | Mumbai | Rajendra B. Aklekar
The strike began on Tuesday. Pic/Ashish Raje
An industrial court in Mumbai has declared the ongoing strike by Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) workers illegal. The court has instructed all employees to return to their duties as soon as possible and the court has also asked the state government to take steps to resolve the dispute.
The court's decision comes amid a prolonged strike by MSRTC workers, which has significantly disrupted public transportation services. The court directed the state government to address the workers' grievances by organising a meeting with the leaders of the striking MSRTC unions at the earliest opportunity.
The employees of the MSRTC, which operates one of India's largest bus fleets, have called a strike to press for their pending demands. The action followed an agitation led by the action committee of 11 labour unions. As of 8 am on September 3, out of the 251 bus depots, 35 are completely closed, while the remaining depots are either partially or fully operational.
In the Mumbai division, all bus depots are operational, while in the Thane division, the Kalyan and Vitthalwadi bus depots are completely closed due to the strike.
Among the various demands from employees, the key issues are salary revision and the disbursement of arrears for dearness allowance.
