Mumbai, Maharashtra – Bus services across Mumbai were severely disrupted on Friday as thousands of employees of the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking commenced an indefinite strike. The industrial action, called by the BEST Sanyukt Kamgar Kruti Samiti, a coalition of 12 employee unions, began at midnight, bringing a significant portion of the city’s public transport to a standstill. Commuters faced considerable hardship, resorting to auto-rickshaws, taxis, app-based cabs, and the Metro to navigate the city during peak hours.
Workers’ Demands and Strike Triggers
The strike stems from a list of long-pending demands that the unions claim have been ignored by the administration despite setting deadlines. A primary demand is the merger of the BEST undertaking’s budget with that of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). Employees believe this consolidation would significantly improve the financially strained organization’s stability.
Information was available with The Chenab Times indicating that other key demands include the implementation of the Seventh Pay Commission recommendations for the period between 2016 and 2026, and a one-time settlement of pending legal dues for retired employees. Workers are also pressing for the abolition of contractual employment arrangements within the transport and electricity departments. Furthermore, they are advocating for the absorption of workers employed under wet-lease bus agreements into the permanent BEST workforce.
The unions have also called for the procurement of 5,000 to 6,000 BEST-owned buses to reduce reliance on private operators and have demanded that vacant positions be filled and promotions be granted to eligible staff. Concerns have also been raised regarding the proposed development of bus depots under Public-Private Partnership (PPP) models, with unions questioning the long-term viability and potential privatisation of the undertaking.
Official Response and Legal Measures
Despite the strike proceeding, reports indicate that the BEST administration had secured a temporary order from an industrial court restraining the employee unions from proceeding with the strike. The Maharashtra government also invoked the Maharashtra Essential Services Maintenance Act (MESMA), a law that prohibits disruptions to essential services, thereby declaring the agitation illegal. However, these measures did not deter the workers from initiating their protest.
Mumbai police have warned that legal action will be taken against individuals obstructing public transport services, damaging BEST property, or preventing willing employees from reporting for duty. Some reports suggest that striking employees prevented buses from leaving depots, with incidents of stone-pelting on buses also being reported. While the BEST undertaking has not yet issued an official statement on the precise impact of the strike, eyewitness accounts and social media posts depicted empty depots and stranded commuters.
Amidst the strike, two organizations, the Shramik Utkarsh Sabha and the BEST Kamgar Union, have stated they are not part of the agitation and are engaged in talks with the administration and the Maharashtra government to find a resolution. These unions represent a section of BEST employees and have indicated a willingness to explore alternative solutions.
The BEST undertaking is a vital public service provider in Mumbai, operating a fleet of approximately 2,700 buses, though a significant portion is hired from private operators on a wet-lease basis. The disruption affects an estimated 2.5 million passengers who rely on BEST bus services daily. The undertaking also supplies electricity to over a million consumers in south Mumbai, raising concerns about potential impacts on power supply, though this aspect has not been as prominently affected as the bus services.
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The Chenab Times News Desk
