Mumbai: Contract workers of BEST call off strike

A long queue at a bus stop at Borivli railway station due to the strike, on Monday. Pic/Satej Shinde

The strike by contract workers of the BEST was called off on Tuesday, after their representatives met the Chief Minister on Monday evening, and he assured them he would look into their demands, including a salary hike.

A BEST official said that due to the strike in the earlier part of the day, overall 90 per cent of the buses operated. Of the fleet, about 693 wet lease buses were also operated by the regular staff drivers of the BEST. For the convenience of passengers, a total of 210 buses of MSRTC and about 35 of its bus drivers drove BEST buses, along with 100 school buses that were operated on BEST routes.

"Our primary demands about salary hike, bonus, leaves and free bus rides have been accepted. Hence the strike has been called off," Vikas Kharmale, co-ordinator of a group of employees of private bus operators told media at Azad Maidan. Mumbai Guardian Minister Mangal Prabhat Lodha on Monday had said the affected BEST bus services will be restored in the next 24 to 48 hours.

While citizens continued to face hardships, drivers of the private bus operators had stuck to their protest over the demand for salary hikes and pay parity with BEST employees. As the number of buses plying on roads reduced, the service frequency was affected, resulting in overcrowding in buses which were in service.

The wet-lease employees had also been demanding better amenities at bus depots. The undertaking had said it will penalise contractors and levy fines of R5,000 per bus, per day as long as the strike continues.