BEST Bus Strike In Mumbai: Services Hit As Employees Protest Over Salary Hike, Other Demands

Public transport services in Mumbai were affected on Friday, causing inconvenience to hundreds of thousands of commuters as Mumbai’s Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) employees began an indefinite strike over their various demands.

The strike began at midnight on Thursday and is expected to cause major disruptions during peak morning and evening travel hours. Key affected areas include Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC), Kurla, Bandra, South Mumbai, and central and eastern suburbs.

The strike is expected to affect daily travel for nearly 23 to 25 lakh commuters who rely on BEST buses across the city.

The protest has been called by the BEST Sanyukt Kamgar Kruti Samiti, an umbrella body representing 12 employee unions, over demands including the merger of the BEST budget with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) budget, permanent status for contractual and wet-lease drivers, implementation of the Seventh Pay Commission recommendations, expansion of the BEST-owned bus fleet, a one-time settlement of legal dues of retired employees, and a halt to further privatisation and public-private partnership models.

The Shramik Utkarsh Sabha and the BEST Kamgar Union, which represent a section of BEST employees, have distanced themselves from the agitation.

BEST is Mumbai’s second-largest public transport provider after the suburban railway network.

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To minimise inconvenience, BEST has increased services on key feeder routes in the BKC area. Additional buses have been deployed on Route 310 between Kurla Station (West) and Bandra Railway Terminus, BKC-2 between Kurla Station (West) and Swavalamban Bhavan, and BKC-3 between Bandra Bus Station (East) and the CA Institute. The 104 Chalo Premium app-based buses operating in BKC will continue their services.

Union leader Ranganath Satavase announced the strike, citing unpaid retirement dues since 2022 and waitlisted workers denied minimum wages. He warned that developing depots under a 99-year PPP lease threatens BEST’s survival through privatization. To secure livelihoods and public transit, the union demands merging BEST’s budget with the Municipal Corporation to ensure administrative and financial accountability, reported ANI.

#WATCH | Mumbai | Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) Workers’ Union leader Ranganath Satavase says, “Those who retired did not get their money since 2022, the waitlisted workers are not getting even the minimum wages, so it is the responsibility of the… pic.twitter.com/tkp6koDgBE

— ANI (@ANI) June 19, 2026

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Mumbai police have warned that legal action would be taken against anyone obstructing public transport services, damaging BEST property or preventing willing employees from reporting for duty.
 

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