Mumbai: Mumbai’s public transport system remained severely disrupted on Saturday as the indefinite strike by BEST employees entered its second day, with operational staff attendance collapsing across nearly all categories.
Details On BEST Employees' Attendance Today
According to the BEST operational attendance report recorded at 10 am on June 20, the impact of the strike was overwhelming, with barely any employees reporting for duty.
Among the 246 scheduled BEST turnout staff, not a single employee reported for work. Driver attendance too remained negligible, with only 26 drivers present against a scheduled strength of 1,937.
The situation was similar among conductors, where just 9 employees turned up against a scheduled 2,646 staff members. Only 38 bus station employees reported for duty against a scheduled 228, while bus inspectors recorded the highest attendance among operational categories, with 119 present against an expected 221.
Attendance in the wet-lease category was also alarmingly low. Only 4 wet-lease drivers reported for work against a scheduled 2,521, while just 8 conductors turned up against 3,063 scheduled employees. None of the 1,137 scheduled wet-lease inspectors reported for duty.
The strike has effectively paralysed Mumbai’s civic-run bus services, leaving lakhs of commuters stranded and forcing them to depend on overcrowded suburban trains, Metro services, taxis and autorickshaws.
BEST normally transports nearly 25 lakh passengers every day. However, with operations collapsing due to the agitation, only a tiny fraction of buses remained functional across the city. The protest, led by BEST employees and union members, has intensified opposition against the wet-lease and contract-based bus system.
Speaking during the protest, BEST employee Praveen Shantaram Holmukhe said the agitation was not aimed at demanding salary hikes but at ending the contractual employment model. “Our protest is against buses on wet lease contracts. This is not about salary increase or anything else. Make us permanent in BEST and scrap all contract vehicles,” Holmukhe said.
He alleged that the wet-lease system had contributed to operational problems and road accidents while long-serving workers continued to struggle with poor salaries and lack of job security.
“All issues and accidents are because of contract vehicles. This is not due to wet lease workers. Why are we not being made permanent? We work for 16 hours but are paid just Rs 20,000. How will that help us sustain?” he asked.
Holmukhe further said the employees were prepared to immediately resume services if the government addressed their demands. “As soon as our demands are met, we will resume the bus service. We have not had any contact with the government so far,” he added.
The employees are demanding the merger of BEST’s budget with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), implementation of the Seventh Pay Commission benefits from 2016 to 2026, payment of pending dues to retired employees, abolition of contract-based recruitment and absorption of wet-lease workers into the regular BEST workforce.
The strike has continued despite the Maharashtra government invoking the Maharashtra Essential Services Maintenance Act (MESMA) and an industrial court restraining employees from going on strike.
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