Municipal Transport Workers’ Movement in Pune
(The workers of the Pune Municipal Transport corporation conducted a sustained agitation in May-June. The official Union of the PMT workers is in the leadership of the INTUC – which failed to take up the genuine demands of the workers. So the PMT workers conducted their struggle by uniting with workers’ Unions from various other sectors as well as citizens of Pune city. The Pune Municipal Workers’ Union , a front of the Lal Nishan Party (Leninist), played a leading part in this struggle. – Ed)
The Pune Municipal Transport workers were justifiably agitated. Wage revision was due since 1997, and had finally been settled in 2003; however the agreed arrears were yet to be paid. Even the advance instalment of Rs. 10,000/- financially provided by the Pune Municipal corporation was not paid. Some 2500 workers (out of 7500) had been working at daily wages for 7-15 years and had not yet been absorbed into regular vacancies, despite sanction being given. Working conditions in the workshops were scandalous – and any demand for improvement were routinely stonewalled by the PMT management. There were also other issues which did not relate directly to the workers, rather to the needs of the public at large – such as the need to buy more buses to meet the huge passenger demand. Workers appealed to the recognised INTUC Union in vain – it refused to take up any struggle for the above issues.
On 24 May 2005 , a PMT activist Dilip Mohite supported by another worker Manik Khopade and other began an indefinite fast at the PMT headquarters. Two days passed without food or water in the hot summer sun, but neither the PMT or PMC management nor the INTUC Union responded to the workers’ demands. On the early morning of 26 May, Comrade Mukta Manohar, General Secretary of the Pune Municipal Workers’ Union responded to an appeal, and arrived to meet the fasting activists. At the same time, around 3000 PMT workers gathered at the spot, leaving their buses and other work, thus virtually paralysing the city bus service.
While Comrade Mukta was addressing the workers, a Congress MLA, Ramesh Bagave arrived, got into a PMT bus parked there, and began driving. Responding to this flagrant provocation, some workers lay down in front of the bus. The police, without warning, then began a ruthless lathi charge on the workers. The police arrested 62 PMT activists as well as Comrade Mukta Manohar, detained them at police parade grounds for four hours and charged them with serious offences under the Damage to Public Propoerty Act. They were kept in police lock-up for two days and were could secure their release on bail with great difficulty.
On 31 May, the Joint Action Committee of Trade Unions decided to launch a ‘PMT Bachao Andolan’ against the mismanagement and corruption in the PMT. As decided by the meeting, a Mass Morcha of over 6000 workers – including a large number of women workers – marched to the office of the police commissioner of Pune, in protest against the lathicharge. This March was addressed by TU leaders from various sectors – industrial unions, railways, Government employees, nurses, LIC, PMC employees and others.
After their release on bail from police lock-up on 28 may, Comrade Mukta Manohar met the Municipal Commissioner, and also led a delegation to the Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh and submitted a memorandum to him; the CM agreed to consider the demands and take action.
At the time writing, the PMT has taken back most of the suspended workers, though 6 workers including Dilip Mohite and Manik Khopade who had been on the fast, continue to be suspended. The PMT has decided to pay an advance of Rs. 8000 to permanent workers and Rs. 6000 to daily wage workers against wage arrears.
The Joint Action Committee and the PMT Bachao Samiti have begun a signature campaign among citizens as well as other activities to pursue other demands including reinstating the suspended workers as well as improved functioning of the public transport system.
– B J Kerkar