Mumbai: The railways are poorer by Rs 100 crore, thanks to the motormen's hunger strike which lasted 36 hours. (
Read: Mumbai train strike ends, motormen back at work)
Twenty motormen -- 10 each from the Central Railway (CR) and Western Railway (WR) -- have been held responsible for the loss by the railways.
So, who will bear this loss? (
See pics: Mumbai Motormen strike)
"The government will have to write off this loss," said a union representative.
Dismissal orders were served at the residences of the motormen. However, senior railway officials revoked the dismissal order following the intervention of political leaders in the state.
Central Railway's Divisional Railway Manager Mulchand Chauhan confirmed to MiD DAY that the dismissed motormen had been reinstated into service as per a discussion with the agitating members of the association.
Of 800-odd motormen employed with the CR and WR, 640 participated in the strike. (
Read: Motormen strike halts Mumbai, tough Tuesday ahead)
"The strike was a final measure that motormen were forced to take as the administration had been ignoring their pleas," said Maya, wife of motorman Narendra Talekar.
The Talekars live in a 2 BHK apartment at Central Railway Quarters, Byculla with their two children, Mrunal (11) and Vaidehi (14).
Admitting that the strike affects everyone equally, Maya said, "My husband's dismissal is unfortunate as we have no other source of income." Their daughter Vaidehi, who studies in Standard X, said, "Daddy hasn't been home since yesterday morning and I really hope everything goes well."
On Tuesday morning, when a railway official delivered the dismissal letter to the residence of senior motorman Anil Kumar Yadav, his wife Madhu and daughter Payal refused to accept it.
"I felt like calling up my husband back from that strike, because if he doesn't have a job, what is the use of a strike?" said Madhu.
Yadav himself is unfazed though. "This dismissal letter doesn't mean much. We [motormen] were ready to face such consequences and are still united," he said.
Yadav said that leaders of the Joint Action Force were convinced by assurances given by political leaders and senior railway officials that dismissed employees would be reinstated.
Also read:Never driven a local train, says jittery motorman