Following a crucial meeting between Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik and representatives of the BEST Kruti Samiti on Sunday night, the three-day-long BEST employees' strike was called off.
The decision came after the state government agreed to key demands, including a monthly wage hike of ₹3,000 for permanent employees and ₹2,000 for contract workers, along with the release of pending gratuity payments from the current financial year's budget. The government also assured improvements in canteen and washroom facilities for employees.
Announcing the withdrawal of the strike, coordinator between union and government, Sachin Ahir appealed to all employees to immediately resume duties, with the first BEST bus expected to return to service shortly. The committee said that discussions on the remaining demands would continue over the next 15 days, while Deputy Chief Minister Shinde assured that every effort would be made to improve employee welfare and strengthen BEST financially.
