BEST strike disrupts Mumbai bus services; workers defy court, MESMA curbs

Civic bus services in Mumbai were affected after employees of the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking launched an indefinite strike from midnight, defying an industrial court order and a state government directive prohibiting the agitation.

BEST employees were seen stopping buses from operating and staging a protest at the Anik Depot in Wadala on Friday morning.

The strike was called after the employees' long-pending demands remained unresolved despite a deadline set by the unions.

The Maharashtra government invoked the Maharashtra Essential Services Maintenance Act (MESMA), making the strike illegal, while Mumbai Police warned that action would be taken against anyone disrupting public transport services or damaging public property.

Following the strike call, the BEST undertaking approached the industrial court, which passed an ad-interim order restraining employee unions from going on strike.

"Hon'ble Industrial Court has passed today evening an ad-interim order in favour of BEST," a BEST spokesperson said.

Police said protesters must not damage buses or other BEST properties and should not prevent willing employees from reporting for duty.

BEST is Mumbai's second-largest public transport provider after the suburban railway network and carries around 25 lakh passengers daily.

It also supplies electricity to more than 10 lakh consumers in the financial capital.

The civic undertaking currently operates a fleet of around 2,700 buses, of which only 243 are owned by BEST, while the remaining vehicles are hired from private operators on a wet-lease basis.

The striking employees have demanded the merger of BEST's budget with that of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), a one-time settlement of legal dues of retired employees, implementation of the Seventh Pay Commission recommendations for the 2016-2026 period, and abolition of contractual arrangements in the transport and electricity departments.

The unions have also sought absorption of wet-lease bus workers into BEST, recruitment to vacant posts, operation of 6,000 buses under BEST ownership, promotions for eligible employees and withdrawal of privatisation and public-private partnership (PPP) models in the undertaking.

Meanwhile, two unions representing a section of BEST employees distanced themselves from the agitation.

In a statement issued late Thursday night, the Shramik Utkarsh Sabha said employees affiliated with it and the BEST Kamgar Union would not participate in a protest march scheduled in Mumbai on Friday.

The two unions, represented by BJP leaders Prasad Lad and Shashank Rao, said discussions on various employee-related issues were underway with the BEST administration and the state government and that they preferred dialogue to resolve workers' grievances.