Public transport buses in Mumbai were battered, as employees of the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) Corporation went on an indefinite strike on Friday. The employees staged a massive protest at the Dharavi depot, demanding a redress of long-pending grievances and an increase in salaries.
ANI reported that a large police force was deployed at the scene to maintain law and order. “The state government must meet the demands of the BEST movement as soon as possible. Otherwise, the movement will continue for a long time until our demands are met…” a protester told ANI.
The strike began despite an interim order by the Industrial Court preventing employees from stopping work, and the Maharashtra government triggering the Maharashtra Essential Services Maintenance Act (MESMA), which prohibits disruption of essential services, PTI reported.
What are the main demands of the workers?
Among the major demands raised by the employees are merger of BEST’s budget with that of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), settlement of statutory dues of retired employees, implementation of recommendations of the Seventh Pay Commission for 2016-2026, elimination of contractual arrangements in transport and electricity departments, and absorption of wet-rent bus workers into BEST, according to PTI.
Speaking about the financial problems faced by employees, BEST trade union leader Ranganath Satavas said, “Those who have retired have not been getting their money since 2022, and the workers on the waiting list are not even getting minimum wages, so it is the responsibility of the management and the government to pay that.” Satavasi also expressed concerns over the government’s plan to develop all warehouses on the public-private partnership model. “…Development on PPP model means that the government promises to give them 99-year lease, so in such a situation, whether this works best or not, this concern worries the workers,” the union leader told ANI.
Dinesh, one of the demonstrators, said that the workers’ wage agreement for the years 2016 to 2021 had not been finalized, and the retired workers did not receive end-of-service benefits. Another employee said the payroll tax and merger tax issues were passed in 2019. “The BMC sent it to the city development account. They did not pass it. Neither the previous government nor the current government passed it…” Swami Mali told ANI.
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What does the strike mean for passengers?
The strike will affect public transport services in Mumbai, leaving hundreds of thousands of passengers in embarrassment. As BEST is the second largest public transport provider in Mumbai after the suburban rail network, it carries around 25 lakh passengers daily through its bus services, according to ANI. It operates around 2,700 buses, most of which are chartered by private operators under wet leases.
Moreover, it provides electricity to more than 10,000 consumers in south and central Mumbai. On Monday, hardly any bus from the top 27 depots was able to leave, as the striking employees allegedly prevented it, ANI reported. This will consequently force commuters to rely on alternative modes of transportation, such as auto rickshaws, taxis, app-based cabs and metros.
