Mumbai’s bus service could face disruption from June 19 after the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) Sanyukt Kamgar Kruti Samiti warned of an indefinite strike if its demands are not addressed. The announcement was made at a press conference on Tuesday, June 16.
Several unions have come together to push for action on issues affecting current employees, retired staff and veteran workers. The committee said workers from both the transport and electricity departments, including bus operators, could stop work if a solution is not reached before the deadline.
Representations have already been submitted to the mayor, deputy mayor, municipal commissioner, BEST administration, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. According to the committee, discussions have taken place at different levels, but no concrete decision has been made so far.
The main demands of the union are:
* The merger of the BEST budget with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) budget.
* Contractual drivers be absorbed as permanent employees with better salaries, benefits and job security.
* Purchase of 5,000 BEST-owned buses to strengthen the city’s public transport system.
* Immediate payment of all pending dues owed to retired employees.
The unions further raised concerns about delays in salary payments, unpaid arrears and welfare-related issues affecting workers. They said these matters have remained unresolved for a long time.
On wages, the committee said an interim salary agreement was reached for the period from 2016 to 2021. However, arrears linked to that agreement have still not been paid. It also said a salary settlement for the 2021-2026 period is pending. According to the unions, the proposed settlement is linked to the recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission.
The committee criticised the increasing use of contractual operations in BEST services. The unions claimed that only 249 BEST-owned buses are currently in operation, while around 2,000 buses are being run by private contractors. They said Mumbai requires more than 5,000 buses to meet passenger demand.
The unions also commented on the BMC’s recently approved allocation of INR 500 crore to BEST. They say the amount would not be enough to clear the entire backlog of pending dues. According to him, partial funding would only delay the resolution of the financial issues.
If no agreement is reached, the city’s bus network could face disruption. This comes after the BMC standing committee has withheld BEST’s annual grant of INR 1,000 crore.
As per reports, BEST General Manager Sonia Sethi approved a circular directing all department heads, depot managers and divisional engineers not to sanction leave from June 18 for the duration of the proposed agitation. The restriction will not apply to employees seeking medical leave. It may also be relaxed in cases where departmental heads are satisfied with the reasons provided by employees.
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