MSRTC suspends another 3,010 striking employees; over 18,000 join duty

The Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) on Saturday suspended another 3,010 striking employees and terminated the service of 270 daily wages workers, while over 18,000 employees reported to work, officials said.

An MSRTC spokesperson said operations resumed at 50 out of 250 bus depots in the state.

As many as 937 buses including 728 ordinary ones were operated as of 5 pm.

The strike of employees who want the cash-strapped corporation to be merged with the Maharashtra government continued on the 31st day.

So far, the corporation has suspended 6,277 employees and terminated services of 1,496 daily wage workers for remaining absent from work.

Ten bus depots in Sangli division and five each in Ratnagiri and Raigad divisions remained functional. Stone-pelting on MSRTC buses was also reported at 13 places in Nashik, Dhule, Jalgaon, Solapur and other districts.

Windshields and window panes were damaged in some cases while a driver sustained a minor hand injury in Nashik, officials said, adding police cases have been filed.

As many as 18,090 out of 92,266 employees joined duty on Saturday, including 2,130 drivers and 2,112 conductors.

At some depots like Mangaon in Raigad district, all the employees joined duty.

On Friday, after a meeting with the action committee of MSRTC labour unions, Maharashtra Transport Minister Anil Parab had appealed to the employees to resume duty and warned of stern action if they continued to remain absent from work.

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