Seven days on, still no BEST answer to workers’ demands

3-member state committee to meet union and administration today, to submit report to HC

MUMBAI: The strike of Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) staff will continue into its eighth day on Tuesday as no solution could be worked out on Monday. Unions remained adamant as the state government’s high-power threemember panel headed by chief secretary DK Jain failed to work out a solution acceptable to the BEST Sayukt Kamgar Kruti Samiti (BSKKS), a joint action committee of workers’ unions.

The Bombay high court on Monday directed the state committee to meet union leaders and the administration on Tuesday morning and submit a report to the court in a sealed envelope. The division bench of chief justice Naresh Patil and justice Nitin Jamdar said it will take up the PIL by advocate Datta Mane on Tuesday. “We have stuck to our stance in court. We submitted our demands in front of the threemember panel. But we will continue our strike as our demands are not met,” said Shashank Rao, leader of BSKKS.

“Following the directives from the high court, the three-member committee will be meeting tomorrow (Tuesday),” Jain said, refusing to divulge any details of the meet held on Monday. The state government will also submit its report along with the minutes of the meeting by Tuesday afternoon to the court, said a senior official. Later in the evening, Jain also held a meeting with advocate general Ashutosh Kumbhkoni .

Meanwhile, commuters continue to be forced to travel by alternative modes of transport, including taxis and autos. “Daily I am spending at least 20 to 25 minutes

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in a queue for share taxis outside Dadar station to reach my office at Worli,” said Mandar Parab, resident of Thane.

Commuters faced further hassles as harbour-line services were delayed by at least 15-20 minutes owing to a rail fracture.

Earlier in the high court, the bench sought the high-powered committee’s views on the weeklong strike after the BMC and the BEST insisted that the BEST workers’ union withdraw the strike and participate in the negotiations process – through the state-appointed committee. The labour union, however, maintained

that it cannot withdraw the strike unless BEST and the BMC declare some interim relief to about 14,000 BEST employees who were getting less than ₹15,000 per month salary since 2012.

The union’s lawyer, advocate Neeta Karnik, said even the lowest rung municipal employees get a take-home salary of ₹21,000. She stated that the union will submit a proposal regarding these employees to the state panel on Tuesday. The bench recorded this statement , but with a rider. It said the committee can look into the proposal, subject to the condition that the strike is withdrawn.