Seventh day, no breakthrough yet

BHUBANESWAR: Even as the agitation by All Odisha State Road Transport Staff Association (AOSRTSA) members entered the seventh day on Wednesday, there is no sign of the matter resolving anytime soon.  The members have besieged the Odisha State Road Transport Corporation (OSRTC) office  over their long-standing demands.  Their four major demands are regularisation of contractual jobs, pay as per the  Sixth Pay Commission, payment of bonus as per the Bonus Act and dearness allowance (DA) on a regular basis.  While the agitation has affected work at the administrative office, the association members are still in dark over the authorities’ stand on their demands.“No one from the OSRTC has communicated with us in these seven days,” said AOSRTSA working president Bibhu Samantray. The association has threatened to take the agitation to the regional offices if their demands are not addressed in a week.  Well aware that the agitation may affect  bus services, Samantray said they were left with little option.  “The buses are running as usual and we have no plans to disrupt the services.  The authorities should understand that surviving  on such meager salary is  very difficult,” Samantray said.But the OSRTC officials declined comment.