Plan your commute carefully, Mumbai BEST workers threaten to go on strike from August 7

Around 30 lakh Mumbai commuters will be inconvenienced if 36, 000 BEST employees go on strike

Here’s some bad news for Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport commuters.

Sources termed the announcement a tactic to build pressure on BEST and BMC administration for speedy decision on their demands. (HT Photo)

The joint action committee of labour unions on Thursday threatened to go on indefinite strike from August 7, if the BEST and BMC fail to fulfil their demands, including timely payment of salaries, scrapping the software on work hours, ban on hiring of private buses, among others.

Around 30 lakh commuters will be inconvenienced if 36, 000 BEST employees go on strike.

The BEST Sanyukta Kamgar Kriti Samiti (BSKKS), a joint action committee formed by all major labour unions, including BEST Kamagar Sena, is on a chain hunger strike outside Wadala BEST depot since August 1.

Sources termed the announcement a tactic to build pressure on BEST and BMC administration for speedy decision on their demands.

“We decided to go on strike as there is no sign of any decision on our demands,” said Shashank Rao, leader of BEST Workers’ Union, adding they have given three days to the administration to take a decision.

Rao said they don’t want to trouble people during the festive season, but the administration has left them with no option.

Anil Kokil, BEST committee chairman, said they will hold a meeting to resolve the issue soon.