DTC Workers Vote in Favour of Strike against Wage Reduction Order
BETWEEN the 25 and 28 of September the DTC Workers Unity Centre conducted a strike ballot across all the Delhi Transport Corporation Depots in the city. On 25th the vote was conducted in East Delhi depots, on 26th in North Delhi depots, on 27th in West Delhi depots and on the 28th in South Delhi Depots. In total, more than ten thousand votes for the strike ballot were cast by DTC workers in over 40 depots across the length and breadth of the capital. On each day voting started at 5 AM in the morning when workers come in for the first shift of the day and went on till 5 PM when the last shift for the day starts.
The strike ballot is an unprecedented move taken by the union in the DTC where the last strike happened in 1989. Both contractual and permanent workers of the DTC participated and voted enthusiastically in the strike ballot even though in many depots the Depot Managers dissuaded the workers from participating in the voting. A team of lawyers acted as Observers for the voting process. The counting of the ballots took place on 29th September at DTC Headquarters in Indraprastha Depot. 10,069 workers, i.e. an overwhelming majority of 98% workers, voted in favour of the strike.
The strike would focus on three basic issues namely equal pay for equal work, taking back the circular on the reduction of salary and no private buses in DTC. The situation has become more urgent after the Delhi High Court quashed on technical grounds the notification of the Delhi Govt. which had revised the minimum wage for skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled workers. DTC and Delhi Government could have continued with the revised wages but it preferred to take advantage of this HC order for retreating from its own decision. DTC workers had protested earlier and have met the Delhi Transport Minister Gopal Rai multiple times but to no avail. They have been only given assurances but not a single one of them has materialized.
Though the DTC forms the backbone of the public transport system in Delhi yet at the same time it remains underfunded and its workers operate in precarious conditions. The enthusiasm of the DTC workers towards the strike ballot has been palpable especially among contractual workers. The Union has also appealed to the citizens of Delhi to come out in support of DTC workers. With increasing fare of the Delhi Metro and pollution DTC remains the best solution for a robust, affordable and environment friendly public transport. DTC has to be strengthened and the DTC workers have to be given decent wages, dignity and security of employment.
