Mumbai, Jun 19 (PTI) Only 32 of the BEST’s 2,766 buses were on Mumbai’s roads during the morning peak hours on Friday after its employees went on an indefinite strike to press for their long-pending demands, a spokesperson of the civic undertaking said.
According to the official, only 38 buses could leave various depots across the city, but six of them were forced to return after incidents of stone-pelting and obstruction by striking employees, leaving just 32 buses in operation.
The strike by the employees of the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) left thousands of commuters stranded during the morning rush hour, with long queues seen at bus stops across the city.
Many passengers were later forced to rely on alternative modes of transport, such as suburban trains, Metro services, autorickshaws, taxis, and app-based cabs, while others reported delays in reaching their workplaces and educational institutions.
“During weekdays, I travel to work by public transport, but today I took my bike out as there were no buses on the roads,” said Sachin Nalawade, who works as a consultant.
The indefinite strike, which started after Thursday midnight, has been called by the BEST Sanyukt Kamgar Kruti Samiti, a joint action committee comprising 12 unions.
BEST Chairman Trushna Vishwasrao told PTI that she has appealed to the striking employees “not to hold the city to ransom and return to work”.
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 over 2,766 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. PTI KK NR
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