GSRTC buses come to standstill due to strike 7th Pay Commission: Gujarat state transport employees go on strike over demands of pay hike
GSRTC buses come to standstill due to strike 7th Pay Commission: Gujarat state transport employees go on strike over demands of pay hike
Some 45,000 employees of the Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation (GSRTC) on Thursday proceeded on casual leave en masse, to agitate for their demands, including increased wages, according to the recommendations of the Seventh Pay Commission.
The sudden absence of workers left commuters across the state stranded as GSRTC buses stopped plying. Some 8,000 GSRTC buses went off the roads, since midnight on Tuesday. GSRTC serves some 30 lakh passengers every day.
“We have been demanding implementation of the Seventh Pay Commission recommendations for the last three years, but the government has not heeded our demand,” said Ghyanshyam Brahmkshtriya, a GSRTC union leader. If our demands are not met by tonight, we will continue the mass casual leave programme,” said Brahmkshtriya.
Hundreds of commuters were left stranded as Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation (GSRTC) staff went on an indefinite strike in Ahmedabad on Thursday, demanding immediate implementation of the Seventh Pay Commission and removal of GPS systems from buses.
The protestors threatened to continue with their strike unless the state government agrees to all their demands.
Several buses were seen stationed idle in the bus depots.
Passengers had to bear the brunt of the strike as many were forced to cancel their planned trips.
ST Karmachari Union general secretary PA Sutaria said that their demands include immediate implementation of the Seventh Pay Commission and removal of GPS systems from buses.
Under the umbrella organisation State Transport Sanchalan Samithi, protests are being carried out by Gujarat ST Karmachari union, Gujarat ST Workers Federation and Gujarat ST Mazdoor Sangh.
On being asked about the stranded passengers, Sutaria said, it is for the state government to look into the passengers' problems.
He claimed that around 4000 trips were cancelled today itself because of the strike.
Another member of the association said that they have served the state with all their might and now it was the turn of the state government to fulfil their demands.
