BEST workers demand pay hike, threaten strike

The threat is on even after BEST obtained an order from an industrial court prohibiting the strike.

Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) employees have threatened to go on an indefinite strike starting Thursday midnight if their wages are not hiked.

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The increase in pay had been recently recommended by the Pay Revision Commission (PRC).

The threat to strike continues even after BEST obtained an order from an industrial court that prohibited the workers from going on strike.

Over 42,000 employees have agreed to strike, and others are quite likely to join by the time the strike commences.

However, as the employees decided to go ahead with their move, overlooking the court order, the state government intervened and invoked Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA), 2005, prohibiting them from going ahead, a BEST release said.

The BEST management has also appealed to the staff members to report on duty and desist from taking part in the proposed strike.

In a pay revision earlier, dearness allowance had been frozen starting April.

This would lead to losses of Rs 600 to Rs 1,800 per month.

BEST has also stopped the interim relief for employees starting this month.