BEST workers to go on indefinite hunger strike from today

The strike, which will be broadcast live on Facebook, could impact bus services across the city, especially on Tuesday

Mumbai: The Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) Workers’ Union will commence an indefinite hunger strike on Tuesday over long-pending demands concerning BEST employees, wet-lease workers and retired staff. The strike, which will be broadcast live on Facebook, could impact bus services across the city, especially on Tuesday, BEST officials told Hindustan Times.

Photo for representation (Hindustan Times)

According to the union, the agitation will commence at 11.30am at the union office at Kennedy Bridge, Opera House, and will continue until the demands are addressed. On Monday evening, the union’s general secretary Shashank Sharad Rao said that they are seeking pending wage settlements, equal pay for wet-lease workers and immediate settlement of retired employees’ dues.

“We have sought immediate payment of gratuity and final settlement dues to retired employees and implementation of the MoU (memorandum of understanding) signed in June 2019,” Rao said.

Key demands of the union include finalisation of wage agreements for 2016-21 and 2021-26, implementation of the seventh pay commission recommendations, pay scales equivalent to civic employees, equal pay for wet-lease workers employed by private companies and correction of pay discrepancies for workers who were initially appointed on contract in the electric supply department and later made permanent. The union has also sought immediate merger of the BEST’s budget with the civic budget, along with financial support to help BEST retain its own buses and meet daily losses.

Presently, the BEST operates around 2,800 buses of which 249 buses are owned by the undertaking. It has proposed procuring another 5,000 electric buses for its own fleet in the near future, in addition to 1,500 e-buses that will join the fleet on wet lease basis.