BEST strike casts a shadow over Friday Public Transport Day in BKC
The action committee says workers are pressing for pay, dues and contract reforms as the civic undertaking carries around 25 lakh passengers daily.
- On Thursday, employees of the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport commenced an indefinite strike, severely disrupting bus services across Mumbai and affecting around 25 lakh daily commuters.
- The BEST Sanyukt Kamgar Kruti Samiti, a joint action committee comprising 12 unions, called the strike after negotiations failed to resolve demands including merger of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation budget with BEST and absorption of wet-lease workers.
- BEST typically operates 2,766 buses on 399 routes daily, but only 32 buses operated on city roads Thursday morning as striking employees allegedly prevented vehicles from leaving 27 depots across the city.
- Invoking the Maharashtra Essential Services Maintenance Act , the state government declared transport and electricity services "essential services" and prohibited the strike. Mumbai Police warned of legal action against anyone obstructing services or damaging property.
- The strike complicates the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority's Public Transport Day at the Bandra-Kurla Complex , where additional buses were deployed. Premium services like Chalo, which relies on BEST infrastructure for vehicle charging and depot access, also face disruption.
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Mumbai Bus Services Hit As Transport Body Employees Go On Indefinite Strike
The BEST undertaking is yet to issue an official statement on the exact impact of the strike, which has been called by the BEST Sanyukt Kamgar Kruti Samiti, a joint action committee comprising 12 unions.
Why Are BEST Employees on Strike? Key Demands Behind Mumbai’s Transport Disruption | 📰 LatestLY
Public transport and electricity services face disruptions as a coalition of labor unions under the BEST Kamgar Sanyukt Kruti Samiti launched an indefinite strike after midnight on Friday, June 19, 2026. The agitation by 12 employee unions comes despite a last-minute restraining order from the industrial court and the invocation of the Maharashtra Essential Services Maintenance Act (MESMA) by the administration. 📰 Why Are BEST Employees on Stri…
BEST strike casts a shadow over Friday Public Transport Day in BKC
The unions have raised a series of demands, including the absorption of wet-lease employees into BEST, procurement of 5,000 BEST-owned buses, fresh staff recruitment, promotions for senior employees and protection of BEST properties from sale or long-term lease
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