National NEWS
20 Rail Drivers Sacked, Strike Continues to Paralyse Suburban Train Services in Mumbai
May 4, 2010 Visionmp.com news service
Motormen’s strike has paralysed suburban train services in Mumbai on second day today even as 20 of them were dismissed for declining to report for work, said media reports.
“Ten motormen of Central and Western railway each have been dismissed as they refused to work,” railway officials were quoted as saying.
Railway motormen have called off their indefinite strike following talks with the state government, said media reports. The decision to bring Mumbai's lifeline on track came shortly after Maharashtra government, edged on by parties like MNS, Congress and Shiv Sena to end the stir, mulled invoking provisions of Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA). After the meeting with representatives of the motormen, Home Minister RR Patil said that the motormen decided to call off their agitation after the state government gave an assurance to them that it would mediate between the strikers and the Railway ministry.
Commuters are using road transport to reach their destination, thus jamming the western and eastern express highway, said reports.
According to Railway authorities, only 20 percent suburban trains were operating in the wake of the hunger strike called by motormen demanding hike in pay scales and allowances, reports said.
In the meanwhile, Maharashtra Home Minister RR Patil said that the state government would take up the issue with the Centre, seeking its intervention to provide relief to Mumbai commuters, said reports.
He said that the government was also undertaking a review to see if provisions of the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) could be invoked in this case, reports said.
Chief Minister Ashok Chavan has convened an emergency meeting to hold discussions about the situation arising out of the strike, said reports.
The meeting will be attended by police, railway and transport officials, said reports quoting official sources.
On Monday, Chavan had met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and requested his intervention to end the strike, reports said.
The Chief Minister also spoke to Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee and requested her to take stringent action against the striking motormen, they said.
(Based on internet reports)
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