Mumbai: BEST employees demand pay hike, go on indefinite hunger strike

Mumbai: Some employees of the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) sat on an indefinite hunger strike on Wednesday after no breakthrough emerged in talks with the administration for a new wage settlement.

The employees will continue their hunger strike for the next few days, after which they will decide the future course of action of the protest, said Shashank Rao, president of the BEST Sanyukt Kamgar Kruti Samiti (BSKKS), an umbrella body of major BEST unions.

The protestors are demanding the merger of BEST budget with that of BMC, hike in salaries and Diwali bonus.

They raised slogans against Shiv Sena, which is in power in the BMC and accused the party of misleading the BEST employees on pay hike."Shiv Sena says that it would implement 7th pay commission recommendations which will need Rs 2750 crore more. We have spoken to BEST General Manager who said the transporter can give maximum Rs 789 crore. Shiv Sena is lying to us," Rao said.