Mumbai BEST Strike: Employees Announce Indefinite Walkout From Midnight Over Long-Pending Demands

Public transport and power supply in Mumbai face widespread disruptions as a coalition of labour unions representing the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking has threatened to launch an indefinite strike. The BEST Sanyukt Kamgar Kruti Samiti (Joint Labour Action Committee) announced that employees across the transport and electricity divisions will halt work starting Friday, June 19, if their long-pending financial and operational demands are not resolved by the administration.

The strike call follows a series of unresolved negotiations between the union leaders, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), and the Maharashtra state government. The joint action committee, which represents both permanent and contract workers, issued a final ultimatum ahead of their midnight Thursday deadline, noting that years of systemic neglect have forced them into taking industrial action. BKC Car-Free Fridays: Mumbai Tests New Commute Strategy for 2 Lakh Bandra Kurla Complex Workers.

A primary driver behind the agitation is the dispute over unpaid financial dues and structural reforms. The unions are demanding the merger of the BEST "C" budget with the BMC’s primary "A" budget to ensure long-term financial security for the public utility. Additionally, the committee is demanding the immediate, lump-sum clearance of legal retirement benefits for workers who retired after 2016, alongside the swift implementation of the 2016–2026 wage revision agreements in compliance with the 7th Pay Commission.

Beyond financial compensation, the unions are strongly protesting against what they describe as the rapid privatisation of public transit. According to union representatives, aggressive contracting and public-private partnership (PPP) policies have compromised worker safety and service conditions. They noted that the city's self-owned fleet has dwindled to fewer than 250 operational buses, while private contractors manage roughly 2,000 leased vehicles. The committee is demanding that the BMC procure 5,000 BEST-owned buses and absorb current contractual drivers as full-time employees.

While the municipal corporation recently approved an emergency allocation of Rs 500 crore to assist the transport body, union leaders categorized the funding as a temporary patch. Representatives stated that the amount is insufficient to cover the mounting backlog of arrears and pension liabilities, merely delaying a wider structural crisis. Mumbai Bus Accident: 1 Dead, 3 Others Injured After BEST Bus Crashes Into Vehicles Near Plaza Cinema in Dadar; Videos Surface.

BEST Employees Announce Indefinite Strike

Joint action committee of Mumbai's transport and power utility (BEST) employees announces strike from midnight over long-pending demands.

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) June 18, 2026

In response to the escalating situation, the Maharashtra state government has strictly prohibited the strike under the Maharashtra Essential Services Preservation Act (MESPA). Labeling both transit and power distribution as essential utilities, BEST General Manager Sonia Sethi approved a department-wide directive canceling all employee leaves beginning June 19 to maintain city operations.

The administrative standoff comes at a difficult financial juncture for the utility. The BMC standing committee recently suspended a separate Rs 1,000-crore annual grant for the transport body due to growing concerns regarding fund utilization, operational safety, and recurring vehicle accidents.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 18, 2026 10:15 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).