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Mumbai: Citizens to face Monday blues as BEST strike enters seventh day

These commuters will again have to rely on other means of transportation, such as local trains, Metro, Monorail, MSRTC buses, private buses, or opt for auto-rickshaws and taxis to travel.

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Commuters took to ST buses in the absence of BEST buses.
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The Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) staff's strike enters its seventh day on Monday, and around 27 lakh commuters using the undertaking's buses will face Monday morning blues. These commuters will again have to rely on other means of transportation, such as local trains, Metro, Monorail, MSRTC buses, private buses, or opt for auto-rickshaws and taxis to travel.

Thousands of BEST staff members have been on an indefinite strike from the midnight of January 7, with primarily three demands: A merger of the BEST undertaking with the BMC's principal budget, which would allow the latter's funds to be utilised to prop up the ailing transport undertaking and its losses to the tune of Rs 850 crore. Secondly, wage agreement for employees, including the provisions of the 7th Pay Commission, which has been pending since two years. And finally, bringing the salary slabs of 14,000 junior grade employees, who claim to be underpaid since 2011, at par with other employees of the same grade.

Not even a single bus turned out on Sunday, since just four BEST drivers reported to work out of a total of 2,610, while all 2,610 conductors stayed away. A mere 44 bus inspectors out of a total of 162 reported to work on Sunday. And in the case of bus starters, only six reported to work out of a total of 222.

On Monday as well, citizens will have to travel using the additional 1,000 private buses that are plying on Mumbai's streets, or opt for ST buses or Navi Mumbai city transport buses. On Sunday, the MSRTC ran 27 additional buses to locations like Seepz, Panvel, Nariman Point, Kalina and Kurla. An additional nine buses of the NMMT also ran between Andheri and Airoli on Sunday.

Shashank Rao, president, BEST Sanyukta Kamgar Kruti Samiti (BSKKS), said, "Our strike will continue until demands of BEST employees are fulfilled. There were rounds of discussions but we do not have anything in writing from anyone yet. We are waiting for Monday, when the three-member committee formed by the state government will submit its report."

The Bombay High Court had asked the state government to intervene on Friday, following which the three-member committee was formed. All demands of the union members supporting the strike were put forth. The committee, comprising the Maharashtra chief secretary and senior bureaucrats from the transport and urban development departments, will submit its report on Monday.

BEST CASE SCENARIO

The BEST staff have gone on an indefinite strike to press for three demands: a) Merging of BEST with the BMC budget; b) Wage agreement for employees, including provisions of 7th Pay Commission; c) Bringing salary slabs of 14,000 junior employees, underpaid since 2011, at par with other employees of the same grade

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