Some 120,000 workers from municipal-run hospitals and schools, and garbage collection and bus services, began a three-day strike in India's financial capital Wednesday to demand pay raises. The city employees walked out in response to a call for action from the Municipal Workers Union, which is seeking a rise in workers' salaries in line with Bombay's high cost of living. Thousands of home guards, and non-unionized engineers and municipal officers were manning vital power and water lines to ensure a continuous supply, said Johnny Joseph, Bombay's top civic officer. Joseph said authorities didn't consider the three-day strike a legitimate form of protest. "Legal action will be taken against those who do not show up at work," he said. "This is an illegal strike." Thousands of commuters queued for hours to board privately run buses that charged more than four times the normal fare. Others pooled their money and shared taxis or rickshaws to get to work.
