Over 1,400 Maharashtra RTO Clerical Staff to Strike From June 16
MUMBAI – More than 1,400 clerical staff members working at Regional Transport Offices (RTOs) and border check posts across Maharashtra are scheduled to begin an indefinite "pen-down" strike starting on Tuesday, June 16. The major industrial action is expected to severely disrupt administrative, licensing, and clerical services at transport offices throughout the state.
The strike has been called by the Motor Vahan Vibhag Karamachari Sanghatana Maharashtra to protest a series of unresolved grievances. According to union representatives, the clerical workers are striking over a list of demands, which includes securing pending promotions that they have been denied for the past four years.
With more than 1,400 employees participating, the strike is poised to impact essential RTO-related work in Mumbai as well as the rest of the state. Clerical staff are responsible for the day-to-day processing of licenses, vehicle registrations, and other administrative duties, meaning their absence will halt standard operations.
Surendra Sartape, the general secretary of the Motor Vahan Vibhag Karamachari Sanghatana Maharashtra, stated that the union had previously sought to address these issues through discussions with high-level officials. Sartape confirmed that a few meetings had been held in the past with Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik to address the workers' concerns.
In addition to the ministerial meetings, the union also submitted a formal petition to Transport Commissioner Rajesh Narvekar. However, Sartape indicated that these efforts were in vain as no concrete action was taken to resolve their issues.
"This time, we want immediate redressal, else the indefinite strike will prolong and this will impact govt work at all RTOs and the border check posts of the state," Sartape warned.
As the deadline for the strike approaches, transport department officials have remained unavailable for comment regarding the impending disruption or any potential plans to negotiate with the striking clerical staff.
