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Thousands of Mathadi workers (head-loaders) in Maharashtra stayed away from work on Monday in protest against the state government’s “indifferent” attitude towards their demands, a labour leader said.
Former MLA and Mathadi leader Narendra Patil told reporters that the work at the Agriculture Produce Market Committees (APMCs) at Vashi in Navi Mumbai and other places in the state was crippled due to the strike.
Patil claimed more than four Mathadi workers had lost their lives during the COVID-19 pandemic, but no assistance was provided to the families of the deceased by the state government.
“Since Mathadi workers who have to work everyday to earn their living are not classified under essential services, they cannot board suburban trains, which makes them difficult to reach their places of work,” he said.
Patil said the state government has called for a meeting on December 24 to resolve the issue.
He warned of intensifying the protests in the next month if the pending issues of Mathadi workers are not resolved.
