NASHIK :
Maharashtra State Transport Workers Congress affiliated to INTUC has slammed a new circular issued by state government on voluntary retirement scheme (VRS) rolled out by Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) for its thousands of employees.
The union has termed the fresh circular as deceptive and anti-employee and sought immediate intervention to repeal it. ST corporation’s voluntary retirement scheme is fraudulent and fragmented and a conspiracy is being hatched to remove senior employees from the service, said Mukesh Tigote, general secretary of INTUC. Those who spent their blooming time for corporation will be paid only three months’ salary plus allowance.
Importantly, the amount to be paid to the employees in the form of pension after retirement is not more than Rs 3500.
Therefore, INTUC has proposed that the ST Corporation should pay 8 months’ salary every year and retirement should be voluntary, and not compulsory.
The corporation is basically at a loss, moreover, it has to bear huge losses due to the current crisis. Many drivers and conductors who have joined the service due to the manpower shortage have also been suspended. In such a situation, the ST Corporation’s preparation to send another proposal to the government is nothing but a disaster.
That is, the proposal has been made that the employees below 50 years of age who have been working as low paid employees in ST Corporation for the last several years should accept voluntary retirement on their own and stay at home during this period. But at the same time, the proposal to pay an annual salary of three months after voluntary retirement will be made applicable to the retirees.
Voluntary retirement is not compulsory. The union demands payment of eight months’ salary every year to the retired employees.
Mukesh Tigote, general secretary, Maharashtra ST Workers Congress