Drivers and conductors of Apali bus city service went on a flash strike on Tuesday morning to press their demand for getting payments like daily wages. The strike caught passenger’s unaware and suffered hardships.
Ravindra Page, Administrative Officer, Transport Department of NMC, informed to The Live Nagpur that the representatives of employees talked to authorities regarding their demand and took the stand that they make payments as per provision in Motor Vehicles Act and GR issued by the government in 2010. The employees want that the department should fix up payments as per a GR issued in 2015, which does not make a mention of the act.
Bunty Kukde, Chairman of the Transport Committee, DCP and others held discussion and appealed them to resume duties.
Page said that these employees reluctant to join the strike became ready to resume duties in police protection at Mor Bhavan Terminus. About 40 drivers joined and started operating the buses from afternoon. At least one bus is being operated on most of the routes plus on public demand.
In the evening, ten more drivers joined the duty and started plying the buses. Now, a total of 50 buses are being operated in different areas of the city. The rest of the striking employees left Mor Bhavan. Meanwhile, the authorities have appealed to the employees to resume their duties from tomorrow.
It may be mentioned here that these drivers and conducted had gone on a strike for around four hours on February 20 to press the demand for making immediate monthly payments. They were away from the work but joined the duties soon the authorities deposited the payment amounts in their banks.
There is a fleet of 438 buses with the department but out of them 360 run on the streets regularly.
