MSRTC staff press for a Diwali bonus: Padalkar-led union warns of a strike from 6 November; what each union wants and what passengers should know

With Diwali close, unions at the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) are pressing the government on the Diwali gift (ex gratia), dearness allowance (DA) and unpaid arrears. The most serious warning comes from the Seva Shakti Sangharsh ST Karmachari Sangh, led by BJP MLA Gopichand Padalkar. It has told the government that ST staff across the state will strike from 6 November if their demands are not accepted. Three other unions have submitted memorandums seeking a Diwali gift of between ₹15,000 and ₹25,000. As of Friday, 23 October, we found no report of a government decision on these demands or of a date fixed for talks with the unions.

Who wants what

• Seva Shakti Sangharsh ST Karmachari Sangh (led by MLA Gopichand Padalkar): according to reports on 15 October, the union sent Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis a memorandum of 17 pending demands with a deadline of 6 November. The main ones: a ₹15,000 Diwali bonus for every employee; salary by the 7th of each month; DA of 60 per cent on par with state government staff, with the pending DA paid in one instalment; a 2024–28 wage agreement on the lines of the Seventh Pay Commission; a cashless medical scheme; and all dues of retired staff paid at once.
• Maharashtra State Transport Kamgar Sanghatana (president Sandeep Shinde, general secretary Hanumant Tate): a ₹25,000 Diwali gift and a ₹12,500 festival advance before Diwali; October's salary on 2 November; arrears of annual increments and house rent allowance since 2016 and of DA since 2018; and DA raised from 58 to 60 per cent from January 2026. The union has served its agitation notice on MSRTC's vice-chairman and managing director. The Live Nagpur, which describes it as the recognised union, reports that it also gave the transport minister a memorandum on 16 October.
• Maharashtra ST Karmachari Congress (general secretary Shrirang Barge): a ₹20,000 Diwali gift this year, with October's salary and the gift credited before the festival. Office-bearers handed the memorandum to Transport Minister and MSRTC chairman Pratap Sarnaik when he visited MSRTC headquarters at Mumbai Central (reports of 22 October).
• Maharashtra ST Kamgar Sena (general secretary Hiren Redkar): a letter to MSRTC's managing director seeking a ₹15,000 Diwali gift as given to state government staff, the ₹12,500 festival advance before 31 October, allowance arrears before Diwali and October's salary before the month ends (Saamana, 16 October).

Protest dates the unions have announced

• 2 November: the Kamgar Sanghatana's deadline for a positive decision on its demands.
• 3 November: the Kamgar Sanghatana's bell-ringing protests and demonstrations across the state. The Karmachari Congress says it will protest the next day if MSRTC has not received the funds it has asked for by this date.
• 4 November: Kamgar Sanghatana gate meetings; the Karmachari Congress plans to send 'salty Diwali snacks' to the Chief Minister and finance department officials as a protest.
• From 5 November: the Kamgar Sanghatana's continuous sit-in outside every depot and divisional office.
• From 6 November: a statewide strike by the Seva Shakti Sangharsh ST Karmachari Sangh if its demands are not met. The union has asked employees to join.

What the government and MSRTC have said

Asked about the strike warning, Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik said the decisions that had to be taken about ST employees have been taken, Sakal reported on 15 October. Padalkar, for his part, alleged that decisions reached in meetings with the minister have not been carried out, and that staff have still not received the DA approved three months ago. Reports on 22 October noted that neither the state government nor MSRTC had announced a decision on the ₹20,000 demand. We did not find an official MSRTC statement on the warnings.

Background: arrears and last year's bonus

• Last year, after a meeting with the unions at Sahyadri Guest House on 13 October 2025, a ₹6,000 Diwali bonus was announced for about 85,000 employees and officers, along with a ₹12,500 festival advance for eligible staff.
• Saamana reports that 58 per cent DA, house rent allowance at 10, 20 and 30 per cent, and a 3 per cent annual increment have been approved for ST staff, but DA arrears since 2018 and the difference due on house rent allowance and increments are still unpaid. In June it was announced that these arrears would be paid from December; staff want the first instalment before Diwali.
• According to Shrirang Barge, MSRTC asked the government for ₹1,015 crore for September's salaries and dues but received only ₹380.06 crore, and more than ₹5,740 crore owed to employees is outstanding.

What passengers should know

• Every protest the unions have announced starts on or after 3 November. Whether a strike happens depends on decisions in the coming days.
• The Diwali travel rush runs roughly from 2 to 22 November. If you are travelling in this period, check for updates the day before and again just before you leave.
• No fare hike: the transport minister turned down the MSRTC administration's plan to raise fares by 15 per cent for 1 to 15 November, so normal fares apply over Diwali.
• Book only through official channels: MSRTC's booking site npublic.msrtcors.com, the 'MSRTC Bus Reservation' app or the reservation counter at a bus station.
• Check the status of your bus at the bus station enquiry counter or on MSRTC's official website and social media accounts. Do not trust WhatsApp forwards saying the strike is 'on' or 'off' until it is officially confirmed.

Sources: Lokmat (₹20,000 demand, 22 October); Navarashtra (Diwali gift demand, 22 October); Navarashtra ('salty Diwali snacks' warning, 21 October); Sakal (Padalkar and Sarnaik, 15 October); Sarkarnama (strike warning from 6 November, 15 October); Aapla Mahanagar (list of demands, 15 October); Lokshahi (list of demands, 15 October); Saamana (Kamgar Sena and arrears, 16 October); Smart Ichalkaranji (Kamgar Sanghatana protest plan, 21 October); The Live Nagpur (Kamgar Sanghatana memorandum, 20 October); UNI (fare hike rejected, 15 October); Free Press Journal (2025 Diwali bonus); MSRTC (official website)