Mumbai, May 05: The Motormen’s strike in Mumbai paralysed for two days its suburban rail network that ferries over seven million commuters daily.
Central Railway Motormen’s Association, backed by the Shiv Sena, had warned they would work hungry on Monday demanding better pay and allowances. They were supported by their Western Railway counterparts.
While the effect of the strike started to show on the Central Railway’s harbour network by Monday afternoon, the services on the main lines were paralysed by evening. Those who worked in south Mumbai had a trying time getting home.
Ramesh Sutar, who works with the Films’ Division on south Mumbai’s Pedder Road, said it took him almost four hours to reach his Goregaon home. “ There were no trains for over an hour and no local transport to reach stations. I walked almost 10 km,” he said.
The Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport ( BEST) undertaking pressed all buses into service, but they proved insufficient.
The state administration on Monday asked public and private firms to release their staff early. Chief minister Ashok Chavan summoned an emergency meeting and threatened to invoke the Essential Services Maintenance Act if the stir was not withdrawn.
Undeterred motormen continued their strike on Tuesday morning. Of the 2,600 trains, only 400 plied, reducing attendance at offices to a dismal 15 to 20 per cent. When those motormen, who did not support the strike, tried to run the trains, they were pelted with stones. Some of the motormen released the air brakes, thereby halting the trains on the tracks.
The ripple effect of the strike was felt on taxis. A majority of the 40,000 taxi drivers could not ply their cabs on Tuesday.
“ As our cabbies travel by trains to their owners’ place, most couldn’t reach their taxis,” Al Quadros, president of the Bombay Taximen’s Union, said.
To add to commuters’ woes, drivers working with the city’s biggest private taxi network — Meru — decided to strike work for better wages.
By afternoon, the transport system was in shambles.
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena ( MNS) president Raj Thackeray threatened to tackle the motormen the MNS way if the strike wasn’t withdrawn.
State home minister R. R. Patil, too, held talks with the striking motormen. Realising they didn’t have much to gain, the motormen withdrew their strike.
—Agencies