Motormen call off stir after meeting with Maha govt

After holding the city to ransom for two days, railway motormen called off their indefinite strike following talks with the state government today.

The decision to bring Mumbai's lifeline on track came shortly after Maharashtra government, edged on by parties like MNS, Congress and Shiv Sena to end the stir, mulled invoking provisions of Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA).

The motormen decided to call off their agitation after the state government gave an assurance to them that it would mediate between the strikers and the Railway ministry, Home Minister R R Patil after the meeting with representatives of the motormen.

"The government took the lead to resolve the crisis as normal life was thrown out of gear due to the strike and people had to suffer lots of hardships," Patil said.

Earlier today, Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray said he would fight with the government on genuine demands of the striking motormen in Mumbai and asked them to resume work immediately.

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray, whose party poll symbol is railway engine, also warned motormen to call off the strike or else face his party's opposition.

Suburban train services in Mumbai expected to be restored by 6 pm; 20 dismissed motormen will be reinstated, says a Railway Ministry spokesperson.

Office-goers and students were severely hit as a result of the strike on the second day of the agitation by motormen manning Mumbai's crucial suburban trains.

The agitation by over 600 motormen on the Western Railway (WR) and Central Railway (CR) compelled the railways to issue a rare advisory today morning. Around 170 of the striking motormen were taken into custody at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) on charges of unlawful assembly and obstructing rail employees from reporting for work.