Mumbai: Auto drivers across Maharashtra to go on indefinite strike from tomorrow

Mumbai: Mumbaikars will face the brunt of auto drivers across Maharashtra as they have threatened to go on an indefinite strike from July 9, if their demands are not fulfilled by Monday. 

Earlier, on June 9, the union leaders had issued a letter to the State government warning of indefinite strike and also submitted a list of demands which were supposed to be fulfilled by the end of June. 

Their demands include shutting down of services like Ola and Uber, curbing the illegal auto menace, implementation of the Hakim Committee report, stricter control over issuance of permits and setting up a welfare board for auto drivers which can give them facilities like Provident Fund and Employees State



Insurance.

“More than 10 lakh auto drivers across Maharashtra, including two lakh in Mumbai alone, will go on indefinite strike from July 9 if our demands are not met,” said Shashank Sharad Rao, president of the Autorickshaw Chalak Malak Samyukt Kruti Samiti. 

The union has also demanded a minimum hike of Rs 4 to Rs 6 per km till June 30; currently, the minimum fare is Rs 18. They said the demands are as per the state government appointed one-man Hakim committee report. 

“We will ask the State government to call us for a meeting and discuss the list of demands we have given to them. If the government fails to do the needful, we will be forced to proceed on an indefinite strike from the midnight of July 8, starting July 9,” added Rao.