The Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) bus services remained non-operational for the second consecutive day on Friday (June 19, 2026) as over 23,000 employees defied a temporary Industrial Court ban and continued their strike.
The agitation has affected lakhs of commuters and also impacted the power supply system in the city.
The Industrial Court issued an interim order on Thursday evening (June 18, 2026), temporarily restraining the BEST Workers Joint Action Committee and contractual (wet lease) operator employees from going on strike.
Despite the order, employees joined the agitation, citing the administration's failure to respond to their demands over the preceding three months. Drivers, conductors, and electricity department employees participated in the strike.
The power supply system in Mumbai has been affected as a result of the participation of electricity department staff.
The BEST Action Committee leaders issued a statement on their position. They stated that they respect the Court order, but noted that it has also directed the administration to discuss with them and find a solution.
According to the leaders, they have been corresponding with the Municipal Commissioner and senior BEST officials for the last three months, but no one has responded. They asserted that the administration forced the workers to go on strike and misled the Court, while adding that their doors for talks remain open.
The strike comes despite a split in the union. The organisations led by Shashanka Rao and BJP leader Prasad Lad chose to stay away from the strike.
Mr. Prasad Lad had stated that transport and power supply would remain smooth and had appealed to employees to call off the strike. However, most employees heeded the call of the action committee and participated in the strike, rendering these appeals ineffective.
Among the key demands of the BEST employees is the incorporation of contract workers on wet lease into the core service of the undertaking, along with all basic facilities including gratuity. They have also called for the merger of BEST's separate budget with the main budget of the Mumbai’s Municipal Corporation (BMC).
Additionally, they demand that the redevelopment of BEST's assets on a public-private partnership basis be stopped, and that the long-overdue dues of retired employees be paid in a lump sum.
The administration had earlier approached the Court seeking to prevent the strike, and the interim order remains in place, even as the action committee maintains its readiness for discussions.
Published - June 19, 2026 11:54 am IST
Source: The Hindu - India News
