UNION’S APPEAL TO STAY AT HOME HAD NO IMPACT ON STAFF: BEST

was no impact on the operations of the Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) buses despite the call by one of its workers’ union, BEST Sanyukta Kamgar Kruti Samiti (BSKKS), asking staffers to stay home. On Monday morning, the transport undertaking said it operated 1,800 buses – which was more than the services on other lockdown days – to ferry those in the essential services and as well as citizens to hospitals and quarantine centres. The buses were installed with mesh guards on windows and windscreens as a precautionary measure. Manoj Varade, BEST’S public relations officer, said the transport undertaking’s staff as well as those employed with the wet lease buses had reported to duty. “We had ensured that those in the essential duties were not inconvenienced at a time when we are battling the Covid-19 outbreak,” said Varade.

However, BSKKS leader Shashank Rao claimed that 90% of the total staffers responded to the ‘stay home’ appeal and did not join duty. “Members of the Shiv Sena union and BEST administration pressurised many staffers to join duty. But most of them refused to do so because they know that our demands are genuine and need to be addressed on an immediate basis,” Rao said.

The union said it appealed to staffers to stay home after the administration ignored its demands to ensure staffers’ safety, and provide them with personal protective equipment (PPE), proper quarantine facilities and a medical cover of ₹1 crore for each of its employees and their families.

Meanwhile, the Tulinj police in Nallasopara seized a BEST bus from Bandra depot after liquor worth ₹30,000 was found from it.