Public transport in Mumbai was severely hit as employees of the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) went on an indefinite strike on Friday. The staff staged a massive protest at the Dharavi depot, demanding the fulfilment of long-pending grievances and a salary hike.
A heavy police force was deployed at the spot to maintain law and order. The strike commenced despite an ad-interim order passed by an industrial court restraining employees from stopping work, and the Maharashtra government invoking the Maharashtra Essential Services Maintenance Act (MESMA), which prohibits the disruption of essential services.
The workers' key demands include the merger of BEST's budget with that of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), settling legal dues of retired employees, implementation of Seventh Pay Commission recommendations for the 2016-2026 period, abolishing contractual arrangements in the transport and electricity departments, and absorption of wet-lease bus workers into BEST.
The strike will affect public transport services in Mumbai, leaving hundreds of thousands of commuters in a lurch. BEST carries around 25 lakh passengers on a daily basis through its bus services, and operates around 2,700 buses. It supplies electricity to more than 10 lakh consumers in south and central Mumbai.
