Mumbai: Mumbai’s BEST bus services resumed across the city on Monday morning after employees called off their three-day strike following a late-night meeting with Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik.
Visuals surfaced on the internet show BEST buses plying on roads again, bringing relief to Mumbaikars amid early morning showers. However, the services are yet to restore normalcy as some routes reportedly failed to hit the road early in the morning.
The strike, which had severely disrupted public transport across Mumbai since Friday, was withdrawn after discussions between the state government and representatives of the BEST Sanyukt Kamgar Kruti Samiti at the Sahyadri Guest House on Sunday night.
With the agitation ending, buses gradually began returning to roads from early Monday, bringing relief to lakhs of commuters who had faced major inconvenience over the past three days. Railway stations, Metro services and taxi stands had witnessed massive crowds during the strike period as passengers scrambled for alternative transport.
The breakthrough came after the Maharashtra government agreed to several key demands raised by BEST employees. As part of the settlement, permanent employees will receive a monthly wage hike of Rs 3,000, while contract workers will get a Rs 2,000 increase in monthly pay.
The government also agreed to release pending gratuity payments from the current financial year’s budget and assured improvements in employee facilities, including canteens and washrooms.
Sena UBT's Sachin Ahir Announces Strike Withdrawal
Following the meeting, union-government coordinator and Sena UBT leader Sachin Ahir announced the withdrawal of the strike and appealed to employees to immediately resume duties. “The strike has been withdrawn after positive discussions with the government. Employees should return to work immediately so that services can normalise across Mumbai,” Ahir said. Union representatives stated that discussions regarding remaining pending demands would continue over the next 15 days.
Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde assured workers that the government would continue efforts to improve employee welfare and strengthen the financial condition of the BEST undertaking.
The strike had brought Mumbai’s public bus network almost to a standstill, with only a small fraction of the undertaking’s fleet remaining operational during the agitation. Lakhs of daily commuters, including office-goers, students and senior citizens, were affected by the disruption.
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