BEST Bus Strike Cripples Mumbai Transport as 12 Employee Unions Protest Over Pay and Job Security

Public transport services in Mumbai were disrupted on Friday after employees of the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking launched an indefinite strike over a range of long-pending demands. The agitation, which began at midnight on Thursday, affected bus operations across the city and is expected to impact nearly 23 to 25 lakh commuters who depend on the network for their daily travel.

The strike has been called by the BEST Sanyukt Kamgar Kruti Samiti, an umbrella body representing 12 employee unions. The protesting workers are demanding the merger of the BEST budget with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) budget, permanent status for contractual and wet-lease drivers, implementation of the Seventh Pay Commission recommendations, expansion of the BEST-owned bus fleet, settlement of retired employees' legal dues and an end to further privatisation and public-private partnership models.

Major disruptions were reported on routes serving Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC), Kurla, Bandra, South Mumbai and the city's central and eastern suburbs, particularly during peak office hours. BEST, which is Mumbai's second-largest public transport provider after the suburban railway network, plays a crucial role in the daily commute of millions of residents.

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Not all employee organisations have joined the protest. The Shramik Utkarsh Sabha and the BEST Kamgar Union, which represent a section of the workforce, have distanced themselves from the strike, resulting in limited bus operations continuing on some routes despite the widespread agitation.

To reduce inconvenience for commuters, BEST has deployed additional buses on key feeder routes in the BKC area. Extra services are operating on Route 310 between Kurla Station (West) and Bandra Railway Terminus, BKC-2 between Kurla Station (West) and Swavalamban Bhavan, and BKC-3 connecting Bandra Bus Station (East) with the CA Institute. The 104 Chalo Premium app-based buses in BKC are also continuing their scheduled operations.

Union leader Ranganath Satavase said the strike was prompted by unpaid retirement dues pending since 2022 and concerns over workers awaiting minimum wages. He alleged that the proposed development of bus depots through 99-year public-private partnership leases could accelerate privatisation and threaten the future of BEST. The unions maintain that merging the undertaking's budget with the BMC budget is essential to ensure financial stability, safeguard employee livelihoods and strengthen Mumbai's public transport system.

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