More than 26,000 Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) employees will receive a Diwali bonus of INR 29,000 each after the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) announced an allocation of INR 75–80 crore. The announcement came after a flash strike at the Magathane depot on Sunday, November 3, where employees protested the delayed bonus.
Following the strike, a meeting was held between the transport body administration officials and union leaders at the BEST headquarters in Colaba. As per sources, the BMC has committed to providing INR 80 crore for the employees' bonuses.
During the meeting, it was confirmed that the BEST general manager agreed to pay the bonus after receiving Election Commission approval. Once clearance is given, the payment would be processed within two days through online transfers.
Each employee will receive INR 29,000 this year, compared to the INR 20,000 bonus distributed last year. Interestingly, there was no announcement for Bonus this year. In response, BEST employees, including drivers and conductors, initiated the flash strike on November 3. They resumed work after the administration assured them of the payment.
The strike also hurt BEST’s services. The undertaking employs over 35,000 staff members and operates a fleet of approximately 3,000 buses, serving around 3.3 million passengers daily. Due to earlier delays in bus deliveries by contractors and recent staff protests, bus frequency was disrupted, causing longer wait times for commuters.
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