MSRTC strike: Staff members tonsure head in protest

Some staff members of the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) on 20 October tonsured their heads on the fourth day of the indefinite strike in the state demanding implementation of 7th pay commission.

A transport staff worker holding the strike said, "The condition of my family members is close to death. We get nothing to eat. Dying once is better than dying every day and therefore I have shaved my head in protest against the government."

He further said that the Maharashtra Chief Minister is holding a meeting on the matter and they will take further actions on the basis of meeting's outcome.

Simultaneously, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Transport Minister Diwakar Raote, and Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray discussed the issue of employees strike with other stakeholders. Following the meeting, Shiv Sena claimed that the strike may be called off any moment now.

More than 17 thousand government buses run across the entire state, where about one lakh workers have gone on strike.