Gandhigiri seems to have finally paid of at the Mumbai School Sports Association (MSSA) with six of their employees calling off their indefinite hunger strike, demanding better pay, on the first day itself here on Tuesday after officials promised to consider their claims and resolve the matter amicably.
Gandhigiri seems to have finally paid of at the Mumbai School Sports Association (MSSA) with six of their employees calling off their indefinite hunger strike, demanding better pay, on the first day itself here on Tuesday after officials promised to consider their claims and resolve the matter amicably.
The aggrieved employees Anthony D'Souza and Dattaray Tambhadkar (junior clerks), Jayesh Parmar (peon), Rajaram Gawde, Rakesh Gaud and Ravi Kahar (ground malis) protested at the Azad Maidan from 11 am – 5pm. After ending their strike, they said they were relieved at their employers decision.
The six demanded release of their yearly increment, DA, HRA and CLA as per the pay commission guidelines, which they allege, has been denied to them since 2008. They have asked for the arrears as well. The staff also demanded provident fund deposited in their account every month. Further, they wanted their salary not to be cut on public holidays, which they said has been the case since 2008.
General secretary of the MSSA Sebastian Fernandes said, "We have decided to give them a few days to come up with the amount that needs to be paid. We are ready to sit across the table and give them their due."
He added, "Out of their seven demands, five of them are already resolved. The only thing that needs to be sorted out is the amount involving their yearly increment, allowance, house rent. And we are ready to resolve this in a peaceful way. There is no question of us not wanting to pay them. The reason for this ambiguity is because the MSSA does not come under pay commission.
"As far as the public holidays are concerned, let them tell us the exact dates where they have to be paid and we shall do the needful. Why is there a need to protest like this. We can end things in a nice way can't we?"
The change in stance seems to have brought a smile on the faces of D'Souza and the rest. "We will go to work tomorrow. The six of us over the next few days will chart out the amount that needs to be paid to us and present it before the MSSA. We are confident that we will get our due," said 57-year-old Parmar, who has been with the city school association for the past 22 years.
"The six that you see today have spent a minimum of 11 years with the MSSA. We did feel agitated in the morning but now with their decision to listen to us and resolve the matter, things do seem to have cooled down and heading in the right direction," he added.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}