A joint action committee representing employees of the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking has announced an indefinite strike beginning at midnight on Thursday, raising the possibility of disruptions to bus services across Mumbai and electricity supply in South Mumbai.
The strike call was announced by the BEST Sanyukt Kamgar Kruti Samiti, an umbrella body of 12 unions representing BEST employees, during a meeting held in Dadar on Thursday evening.
Why are BEST employees going on strike?
The committee said it was forced to launch the agitation after authorities failed to address its long-pending demands within the deadline set by the unions.
Among the key demands is the merger of BEST's budget with that of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), along with a one-time settlement of pending legal dues for retired employees.
The unions are also seeking implementation of the Seventh Pay Commission recommendations for the 2016–2026 period, an end to contractual arrangements in the transport and electricity departments, and the absorption of wet-lease bus workers into the BEST workforce.
Other demands include filling vacant posts, increasing the number of BEST-owned buses to 6,000, granting promotions to eligible employees, and halting privatisation and public-private partnership (PPP) initiatives within the undertaking.
Which services are likely to be affected?
The strike could disrupt two key services operated by BEST—city bus transport and electricity distribution in South Mumbai.
BEST is Mumbai's second-largest public transport provider after the suburban railway network and carries around 25 lakh passengers every day. It also supplies electricity to more than 10 lakh consumers in South Mumbai.
BEST fleet: Owned vs leased buses
At present, BEST operates a fleet of nearly 2,700 buses. However, only 243 buses are owned by the undertaking, while the remaining vehicles are hired from private operators under wet-lease agreements.
One of the unions' major demands is to expand the number of BEST-owned buses to 6,000 and reduce dependence on private contractors.
