Mumbai: The indefinite strike by BEST employees entered its second day on Saturday, crippling bus services across Mumbai and causing major inconvenience to lakhs of commuters. With almost the entire fleet off the roads and no breakthrough in talks between workers and the government, the standoff intensified as the BEST administration invoked the Maharashtra Essential Services Maintenance Act (MESMA) and warned of stricter action against striking employees.
Near-Total Participation in Strike
Attendance figures released by BEST at 6 pm highlighted the scale of the agitation. In the regular fleet, none of the scheduled 238 buses were operational. Only 37 of the 3,076 scheduled drivers and 11 of the 4,705 conductors reported for duty. In the wet-lease fleet, not a single one of the scheduled No buses operated against the scheduled 2,517 services. Only 5 bus drivers reported for duty against the scheduled 5,708 drivers, while none of the 1,733 scheduled bus conductors attended work, indicating near-total participation in the strike. The figures indicate an overwhelming response to the strike and a near-complete shutdown of bus services across the city.
The BEST Joint Workers' Action Committee said the strike would continue as workers were dissatisfied with the outcome of Friday's meeting with Maharashtra Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik. Convenor Advocate Udaykumar Amonkar said the minutes of the meeting did not reflect the assurances allegedly given by the minister. "We are ready for talks anytime, even in the middle of the night. Our only objective is to resolve employees' grievances and restore BEST services. We are also concerned about students appearing for the NEET examination and do not want their future affected," he said.
Demands Include Budget Merger, Benefits
The committee is demanding the merger of the BEST budget with the BMC budget, settlement of retired employees' dues, implementation of the wage agreement for 2021-25, regularisation and equal pay for contractual workers, filling of vacant posts and restoration of employee benefits. Workers claim they have been waiting for a resolution since 2019 and are still awaiting a concrete decision from the government.
BEST Chairperson Trusha Vishwasrao said the administration had exhausted all efforts to resolve the issue. "If the strike continues for a third day, it becomes difficult to understand how many more appeals can be made. Notices under MESMA have already been issued and action against striking employees will be intensified," she said. She added that 100 MSRTC buses have been arranged to support regular services, while another 60 buses will be deployed on Sunday to assist students travelling to 63 NEET examination centres across Mumbai.
Legal Warning from Mumbai Police
The Mumbai Police have also warned that legal action will be taken against anyone obstructing transport services, damaging BEST property or preventing willing employees from reporting for duty. Notices under MESMA have been served to both striking employees and wet-lease contractors, according to BEST officials.
.jpg)
As commuters struggled to find alternatives, private bus operators pressed around 300 buses into service on routes connecting Bandra-Kurla Complex, Powai, Dadar, Borivali, Ghatkopar and Nariman Point. However, operators said the services were arranged informally and fares varied across routes.
The strike's impact was felt across the city. Ankita Deshmukh, a commuter from Goregaon to Oshiwara, said she relies entirely on BEST buses for last-mile connectivity and is now forced to hire expensive auto-rickshaws. Medical professional Abhay Rai said he had switched to using his scooter because buses were unavailable.
BEST is Mumbai's second-largest public transport provider after the suburban railway network, carrying nearly 25 lakh passengers daily and operating more than 2,766 buses, most of them on a wet-lease model. With services remaining virtually paralysed for a second consecutive day and both sides sticking to their positions, commuters face continued uncertainty as the strike shows no signs of ending immediately. BEST has so far served notices to 20 employees under MESMA for participating in the ongoing strike, while notices have also been issued to wet-lease contractors.
To get details on exclusive and budget-friendly property deals in Mumbai & surrounding regions, do visit: https://budgetproperties.in/
