19 June,2026 09:23 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Buses parked at Pratiksha Nagar depot. PIC/ATUL KAMBLE
In a significant development amid the ongoing indefinite strike by employees of the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking, three major organisations - two civic workers' bodies and the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) - have extended support to the agitation, increasing pressure on the state government and civic authorities.
The Municipal Union, the MNPA Kamgar Sanghatana Sangharsh Samiti, and CITU Mumbai District Committee issued statements on Friday backing the striking BEST employees and warning of a broader civic employees' protest if their demands are not addressed promptly.
All three organisations opposed any move towards privatisation of BEST or attempts to monetise or alienate its prime land assets. They argued that such steps would weaken public transport services and threaten the job security of employees.
They urged the Maharashtra government and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to immediately initiate dialogue with the striking workers and resolve long-pending issues related to service conditions and employment security.
The unions cautioned that if the stalemate continues, municipal employees, staff, and officers across Mumbai could join the agitation, potentially affecting a range of civic services in the city.
Ramakant Bane, general secretary of the Municipal Union, described the agitation as a struggle to safeguard public services and urged the state government to intervene without delay.
The MNPA Kamgar Sanghatana Sangharsh Samiti, a coalition of municipal unions, also issued a joint statement signed by several leaders, including Ashok Jadhav (President), Vaman Kaviskar (Convenor), Baba Kadam, Ranganath Satve, Prakash Jadhav, Sanjay Kapse, Satish Rajguru, Deepak Jadhav, Ramesh Bhutekar-Deshmukh, Jijala Kamble and Divakar Dalvi, among others.
The committee described the BEST agitation as "extraordinary" and said the entire municipal workforce is closely watching developments.
CITU's Mumbai District Committee also announced its full support to the BEST workers' strike. In a statement, CITU leaders K Narayanan (President), Dr Vivek Monteiro (Vice-President), and Shailendra Chauhan (General Secretary) said the strike was essential not only for the economic demands of the workers but also to protect public BEST services and prevent privatisation.
The BEST employees launched an indefinite strike from midnight, disrupting bus services across Mumbai and causing inconvenience to commuters dependent on the undertaking's network.
The strike, called by the Joint Workers' Action Committee comprising multiple unions, has led to partial disruption of services in several parts of the city.
Workers are demanding implementation of the Seventh Pay Commission recommendations for the period 2016-2026, settlement of pending dues, and clearance of gratuity payments for retired employees.
Retired employees have also joined the protest, alleging delays in disbursement of retirement benefits and other dues.
The unions have raised concerns over service conditions and other employment-related issues, and said the agitation would continue until their demands are addressed.
