Thane, Maharashtra (December 17, 2024): Around 550 Thane Municipal Transport Service (TMT) contractual drivers went on an indefinite strike early Tuesday morning. The strike is a protest against the wage hike and the imposition of fines. The employees have threatened to remain on strike until their demands are met.
The strike has caused inconvenience for students and staff heading to school during the morning.
The transport administration has declared the strike illegal. Since 2016, private contractors have been operating 220 buses under the Thane Transport Service. Currently, 550 contractual drivers work on the job. However, the strike, which began at 3 am on Tuesday, prevented any buses from leaving the Ghodbunder Anand Nagar depot throughout the day.
Out of the transport fleet’s 474 buses, only around 60 are owned by the transport department. The remaining buses are managed by two private contractors. These include 220 buses operating from Anand Nagar and 123 electric buses from Kopri East. Of the 30 Volvo AC buses in the fleet, only two buses are operational.
Employee Demands
The striking employees are demanding a salary increase and the removal of penalties. They accused the company of presenting a misleading wage structure to workers without adhering to government salary regulations. The employees warned that no vehicle would be operated until their demands were met.
Impact on Transportation Revenues
Approximately 380 buses usually operate on Thane roads each day. However, due to the strike, only 175 buses have been running. This includes 123 electric buses and 60 buses owned by the transport department. The absence of 220 buses on the roads has significantly impacted transport revenues. The income has dropped from Rs 26 lakh to Rs 10-12 lakh.
Transport Manager Bhalchandra Behare said that discussions were ongoing with staff and contractors to resolve the issue. He mentioned that the contractor has been instructed to find a resolution quickly and end the strike.