Mumbai: The BEST Sanyukt Kamgar Kruti Samiti, during a media conference on Tuesday, issued an ultimatum to the BEST management, threatening a strike by staff, including bus operators, from June 19 if their demands are not met. Union leaders stated that the civic administration must deliver a comprehensive settlement of long-pending demands across the transport and electricity divisions.
Key Demands
The demands include the merger of the BEST budget with the BMC budget, absorbing contractual drivers as full-time staff with higher pay and facilities, purchasing 5,000 BEST-owned buses for the fleet, and paying pending dues of retired staff at the earliest. The union leaders added that the agitation is being pressed due to unresolved issues such as delayed salaries, arrears, employee welfare measures, and service conditions affecting permanent staff as well as contractual and casual workers.
Union Criticizes Rs 500 Crore Allocation
Uday Ambonkar, general secretary of BEST Karmachari Sena, described the BMC’s recently sanctioned Rs 500 crore allocation to the undertaking as “welcome but inadequate.” He said the amount does not cover the full backlog of dues and warned that partial funding will only defer the crisis. The union has urged the corporation to commit to complete and time-bound clearance of outstanding payments, along with a mechanism to prevent recurring delays.
Meetings and Unresolved Issues
Union representatives recently met BEST committee chairperson Trushna Vishwasrao to press for implementation of court-mandated arrears for junior employees, stronger welfare provisions, and the regularisation of casual workers. Leaders said junior staff awaiting arrears and workers engaged in non-permanent arrangements have borne the brunt of uncertainty, and that a settlement must address both financial liabilities and service protections.
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