The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation employs around 12,000 people, with non-executive staffers accounting for about 9,000.
Delhi Metro workers plan to strike work from June 30 if their demands for better pay and a union are not accepted, potentially affecting the national capital’s main public transport.
The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) employs around 12,000 people, with non-executive staffers accounting for about 9,000. The non-executive staff, like train operators, station controllers, maintenance staff and technicians, have held protests at metro stations since June 19 to press for their eight demands.
“Our first demand is that that the DMRC Staff Council be changed to a DMRC employees union as the council is not a constitutional body and so, it does not have any teeth,” said council secretary Ravi Bhardwaj.
“Other demands include implementation of our Industrial Dearness Allowance (IDA) as per the 3rd pay revision scale,” .
A senior DMRC official, said: “Their is a possibility of services shutting down if no agreement is reached, but we are hopeful of reaching a resolution.”
He also claimed that during these protests over the past several days “metro services have not been affected.”
Bhardwaj said on the first day of the protest many employees wore black armbands in protest. “Subsequently, when the DMRC did not take cognisance of our demands, we went on symbolic hunger strike, when many of our members did not consume food while on duty and demonstrated by sitting on platforms,” he said.
“If our demands are not met by June 29, we will go on complete hunger strike and work in that condition, and drivers will drive trains in that condition. And, if anything happens to our members or to commuters then the DMRC shall be responsible for it,” Bhardwaj said.
“Even then if our voices are not heard by DMRC authorities, we will completely stop work from June 30,” he claimed. PTI