BEST workers' union announces 72 hour strike

The BEST worker's union, led by Sharad Rao, has announced 72 hours strike from midnight after their talks with the BEST management on wage agreement and dearness allowance (DA) failed. This will create problems for the 45 lakh common Mumbaikars who are dependent on BEST services for commuting.

When contacted, the Secretary of the Union Uday Ambelkar, said the management was constantly postponing the decision on a new wage agreement for more than 6 months.

What irked the workers even more was the management's decision to curtail the DA of workers, which would cause a loss of Rs 2,000 to Rs 2,500 to every employee from this month and now we are left with no option but to go on strike, he added.

"We also want that the leasing out of BEST's prime properties to builders in the name of getting more funds for modernisation and making BEST more profitable should be stopped immediately as we believe it is nothing but bringing privatisation through backdoor," Ambelkar said.

He alleged that the union's executive committee had taken a decision to go on strike from tonight and that the meeting of the general body would ratify the decision to go on strike.

Blaming BEST's General Manager Uttam Khobragade of irresponsible behavior Ambolkar said, "when the workers are on the verge of going on strike, Khobragade has left for Delhi on a private visit".