Mumbai: Thousands of BEST employees and wet lease bus workers have warned of an indefinite strike if the Maharashtra government fails to address their pending demands by August 15. In separate letters to Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, the two groups have sought a review of the wage settlement reached on June 21, alleging it was accepted without consulting employees and ignored their long-pending demands. Union leader Shashank Rao has also warned that employees will be left with no option but to launch a strike if the issues remain unresolved.
Settlement Called "Betrayal"
The employees have described the June 21 settlement as a "betrayal of workers' trust" and demanded fresh discussions with the BEST Workers' Union before any final decision is taken. They claim that nearly 65 per cent of the BEST workforce has backed the demand for reconsideration. Among the key demands are the merger of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's (BMC) 'C' Budget with the 'A' Budget, implementation of the pending 2016-2021 wage settlement along with Seventh Pay Commission benefits, and salary and service conditions at par with BMC employees. The workers have also sought retrospective implementation of the Sixth Pay Commission-based wage revision from 2016, a fresh wage settlement for the 2021-2026 period, financial support from the BMC to operate BEST's fleet of 3,337 owned buses, and timely payment of gratuity and retirement benefits to retired employees.
In a separate representation, wet lease employees working on buses operated by private contractors under BEST have raised similar concerns over the June 21 settlement. Their primary demand is implementation of the principle of "equal pay for equal work", arguing that they perform the same duties as permanent BEST employees but receive lower wages and fewer benefits. The workers said one round of discussions involving the BEST administration, private operators and the BEST Workers' Union has already taken place, and another meeting has been assured. Both groups have urged the state government to complete negotiations and take an employee-friendly decision before August 15.
The warning comes at a crucial time for Mumbai's public transport system. Any strike by BEST employees could disrupt bus services across the city, affecting lakhs of daily commuters. With the August 15 deadline now set by the employees, the state government faces mounting pressure to resolve the dispute through negotiations and prevent another major disruption to Mumbai's bus network.
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