MUMBAI, MARCH 27: Just as Mumbai was bracing for the long haul, civic employees called off their indefinite agitation, which had entered its sixth day today. The decision was taken after a seven-hour meeting at the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) headquarters, where Municipal Mazdoor Union leader Sharad Rao and Municipal Commissioner alternatively butted egos, weighed options and shouted themselves hoarse as hundreds of workers outside waited for the tension to abate.The bottomline: the 1.4 lakh-strong workforce will receive ex-gratia payment during the current financial year though no decision was taken on the quantum. A 10-member committee has also been appointed to study the seven main demands stipulated by the unions. Calling it a ``victory for the unions'', Rao said the agitation had been called off ``unconditionally''.The committee, comprising five representatives of the civic adminsitration and five of the employees, will submit its report within a month on issues such as the quantum of ex-gratia, whether temporary and seasonal workers should be made permanent, privitisation of civic services, productivity and efficiency of services, among other things.Promising to abide by the committee's recommendations without any pre-conditions, Rao said: ``The committee may decide to pay Re 1 or Rs 10 or Rs 10,000 as ex-gratia. We shall honour the committee's recommendations.'' A more cautious Nalinakshan remarked that the committee's findings will not be binding on the civic adminsitration. ``But we shall respect it,'' he noted.The barometer in the corporation kept pace with the scorcher outside as the tug-of-war between the unions and the civic administration grew increasingly volatile. ``At one point, Nalinakshan even asked Rao to `get out' of the mayor's office,'' said a source in the corporation. Rao was soon seen barging out, shouting: ``The strike won't be called off till Nalinakshan is transferred.''However in the evening, Rao and Nalinakshan emerged, beaming, signalling an end to the agitation. The agreement to appoint the committee was eventually signed in the Standing Committee hall, which reverbrated with the employee's victory slogans.Rao later told the media that the civic adminsitration had decided to revoke the suspension orders it had issued to workers during the agitation. All police cases, except those involving criminal offences, will also be taken back by the BMC, he added.``The committee will also decide on the terms for certain civic departments like the Octroi Collection Department, Security Department, stating that workers in these departments will henceforth not be able to take part in strikes,'' he noted.However, Nalinakshan said salaries would not be paid during the strike period. Defining the day's developments as ``the beginning of a disciplined era'', he said: ``The unions have promised to help us increase productivity. Workshops will be held in this regard,'' he said.The role played group leaders in the BMC in getting both sides to resolve their differences was applauded by both union leaders and the civic administration. ``We are happy that the state government did not intervene in the matter,'' said Mayor Hareshwar Patil.
