BEST unions to start striking from today

Mumbai: This August 1 — founding day of the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply & Transport (BEST) fondly called “BEST Din” aka “Best Day” — may be marred by employees’ unions going on an indefinite hunger strike after unions refused to cut down the number of routes and buses and allow renting out (wet leasing) of buses out of fear of increasing privatisation of the undertaking.

The action committee, comprising all unions, on Monday met the mayor at BMC along with BEST general manager Surendrakumar Bagade where unions refused to toe the BMC line of giving their consent to wet leasing 1,200 buses among many other compromises.

An official present at the meeting said that the BEST management made a presentation to BMC mayor Vishwanath Mahadeshwar about how BEST would save costs by rationalising routes and buses and asking only recognised BEST workers’ unions to sign off all these terms and conditions. Leader of the union ShashankRao not only refused to give consent to these terms but went a step ahead in declaring an indefinite hunger strike beginning August 1, a historic day for the undertaking.

“They called us and made a fool of us once again. They have been saying that we need to rationalise routes and also reduce the number of buses from the current 4,000 plus to 3,500. We are seriously opposed to the idea of wet leasing buses,” said Mr Rao.

Unions assured that services will remain unaffected and that commuters will not be inconvenienced during the hunger strike that will begin at 9am on August 1 with participation from union leaders as well as conductors and drivers who will volunteer for the same.

Leader of the opposition in the BMC, Ravi Raja, said the stalemate between the BMC and BEST continues but that the latter needs to find ways to curtail expenditure soon. “I am against the rationalising of routes but we as BEST have to now tighten our belts even more and at least get rid of our extra costs. For now, the most effective way is to stop each and every freebie we give to officials and passengers, until we can stand on our feet once again,” said Mr Raja.

Recommendations by management

• Nix loss-making routes
• Rationalising of routes and buses
• Asking conductors and drivers to go in for VRS and CRS
• For short routes, fares should be reduced
• Marginal increase in fares on longer routes
• Increased use of technology, minimal use of staff