These are testing times for every one of us. While there are a few that continue to flout rules and roam around the streets like nothing has happened, there are also others that are scared to step out. People working in the essential services sector such as security, healthcare policy, etc have little option but to get to work.
Even the Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) employees too have to get to work in these times as it is the only state transport that is available to people. To boost the morale of the employees and to encourage them to come to work BEST has announced that all their drivers, conductors and staffer who report to work will get a daily allowance of Rs 300. Most of these people report to work from far-flung suburbs to Mumbai.
Apart from this, the bus service is also looking at penalising the ones that are ducking to do their duty. BEST buses have decided it will be issuing memos to those who shirk work or are absent for no genuine reasons.
BEST workers union leader Shashank Rao feels that while it is the need of the hour to reward people who are coming forward to do their tasks at this hour of need, he feels that this is not the time to demoralise anyone through memos. In his opinion, most people on the staff come from really far off and thus they should not be given a memo in case they are unable to report to work at these times.
There have also been instances where the BEST employees have been stopped from getting to work by the police officials. One such incident had been reported where a BEST bus conductor from Dharavi was beaten by the cops very badly and ended with swollen legs. He had repeatedly told the cops that he was an employee engaged in essential services but that did not stop the police from using force against him.
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