Employees of Mumbai's Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking announced an indefinite strike starting from Thursday midnight, which is expected to disrupt power supply in South Mumbai and civic bus services. The announcement was made by the BEST Sanyukt Kamgar Kruti Samiti, a joint action committee of 12 unions representing BEST employees, at a gathering in Dadar on Thursday evening, according to livemint.com.
The strike is being held to press a series of demands, including the merger of BEST's budget with that of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). The committee stated that their long-pending demands have not been addressed, prompting the decision to initiate the indefinite strike. The move signals growing unrest among BEST employees over administrative and financial issues, as reported by livemint.com.
The BEST undertaking operates both the electric supply and bus transport services in Mumbai, making the strike significant for the city's infrastructure. Disruptions in power supply and bus services could affect daily commuters and residents in South Mumbai. The demand for budget merger with BMC reflects ongoing debates about governance and funding of municipal services in Mumbai, highlighting the broader challenges faced by civic bodies in managing essential services, according to livemint.com.
The strike began at midnight on Thursday, with the BEST Sanyukt Kamgar Kruti Samiti representing employees from 12 unions. The situation remains fluid as the committee continues to press for their demands, with no immediate resolution reported by livemint.com.