Public transport in Mumbai plunged into chaos following the Mumbai BEST bus strike on Friday, called against pending demands and the privatisation of the BEST initiative. The strike by the BEST Joint Workers Action Committee began from midnight, after talks between unions and the administration failed to resolve their demands.
As per reports, hardly any buses could leave the 27 BEST depots across Mumbai in the morning. BEST runs 2,766 buses daily, of which only 36 buses are plying on Friday morning. Stones have been pelted at six buses, according to local media reports.
Around 23-25 lakh people travel daily by BEST buses, who were directly affected by the strike. The areas affected by the strike include Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC), Kurla, Bandra, older routes in South Mumbai, and several areas in the central and eastern suburbs.
When will the strike end?
The unions have declared this an "indefinite strike", and this could continue until the government, BMC, and BEST management reach a satisfactory agreement on their demands. Uday Ambonkar, general secretary of BEST Karmachari Sena, said, "The financial assistance of ₹500 crore recently announced by the BMC is certainly a positive step, but it's not enough to fully address the deep financial crisis facing this historic organisation. The government will need to develop a concrete and long-term plan."
However, not all unions are participating in the strike. BEST Kamgar Union and Shramik Utkarsh Sabha distanced themselves from the strike and supported a solution through talks.
What are the demands?
The unions have been demanding the merger of the BEST budget with the BMC (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation) budget. Other demands include implementation of the 2016-2026 Wage Agreement and payment of arrears as per the 7th Pay Commission.
Regularisation of contract employees and drivers, procurement of 5,000 BEST-owned buses to reduce dependence on private contractors, payment of pending dues and gratuity of retired employees are also among the demands put forth by the union.
