MSEB staff stir off after pact on bonus

MUMBAI, October 23: The crisis brewing at the Maharashtra State Electricity Board was laid to rest this evening with the agitating workers ...

MUMBAI, October 23: The crisis brewing at the Maharashtra State Electricity Board was laid to rest this evening with the agitating workers calling off their indefinite strike on assurance of an ex-gratia payment by the authority.

According to an arrangement reached between 10 unions representing various categories of workers and the management, class three and four employees would get Rs 2,500 as an ex-gratia payment in lieu of bonus, while class I and II employees would be given a lump-sum amount in the form of a special award on the occasion of 50 years of India’s independence. However, the amount of the award will be decided later. Other demands of the agitating employees like pension and vehicle allowance will be taken up for discussion in the near future.

During the meeting between MSEB chairman P L Gajaralwar and the union leader, the former expressed its inability to pay bonus to class I and II employees in view of a general directive from the Union Government against it.

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About 70 to 80 per cent of class III and VI employees of the board had crossed the wage limit to be covered under the Bonus Act and hence the board had no option but to pay them ex-gratia.

A union leader A D Golandaz conveyed the workers’ satisfaction in general with the agreement.

The MSEB Workers’ Federation (affiliated to AITUC), Maharashtra Veez Kamgar Mahasangh (affiliated to Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh), Maharashtra State National Electricity Workers’ Federation (INTUC) and other unions had initially called for a two-day strike from October 21. They were demanding among other things, bonus, vehicle allowance and general pension to staff.

On the lack of response from the management, the unions had called for an indefinite strike since midnight last night with over 45,000 employees absenting from work.