BEST Employees Go on Indefinite Strike; Public Bus Services Hit in Mumbai

Hardly any buses could leave the 27 BEST depots across Mumbai in the morning. Striking employees allegedly prevented buses from leaving the depots, forcing commuters to rely on alternative modes of transport, such as autorickshaws, taxis, app-based cabs and the Metro, to reach their destinations during the morning rush hour.

The BEST undertaking is yet to issue an official statement on the exact impact of the strike, which has been called by the BEST Sanyukt Kamgar Kruti Samiti, a joint action committee comprising 12 unions.

Among the key demands of the employees are the merger of BEST's budget with that of the BMC (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation), a one-time settlement of legal dues of retired employees, implementation of the Seventh Pay Commission recommendations for the 2016-2026 period, abolition of contractual arrangements in the transport and electricity departments, and absorption of wet-lease bus workers into BEST.

The strike commenced despite an ad-interim order passed by an industrial court restraining employees from resorting to a strike and the Maharashtra government's invocation of the Maharashtra Essential Services Maintenance Act (MESMA), which prohibits the disruption of essential services.

BEST is Mumbai’s second-largest public transport provider after the suburban railway network and carries around 25 lakh passengers daily through its bus services. It also supplies electricity to more than 10 lakh consumers in south and central Mumbai.

The civic undertaking currently operates around 2,700 buses, most of which are hired from private operators on a wet-lease basis.

Mumbai police have warned that legal action would be taken against anyone obstructing public transport services, damaging BEST property or preventing willing employees from reporting for duty.

The Shramik Utkarsh Sabha and the BEST Kamgar Union, which represent a section of BEST employees, have distanced themselves from the agitation, saying discussions with the administration and the state government were underway to resolve workers’ grievances.