Addressing a press conference, they said those who cannot be absorbed permanently must be taken on contract, adding that they sought 'samaan kam, samaan dam', or "equal remuneration" as BEST employees due to "equal work" they were putting in. They expressed confidence that Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde would fulfil their demand (Pic/Sameer Markande)

Staffers were distressed since the last four years and the strike is the result of this unrest in their minds, claimed Kharmale, who is an employee of private bus operator Daga Group (Pic/Sameer Abedi)

BEST arranged MSRTC buses for the convenience of the commuters who were standing in the long queues due to the ongoing contract workers' strike (Pic/Satej Shinde)

"Since the past six days, some 7000 to 9000 employees of all private bus operators with BEST have been on strike, which will continue till the demands are met," Vikas Kharmale, coordinator of a newly-formed group of wet-leased bus employees, said at the press conference (Pic/Sameer Markande)

Commuters standing in long queue near Vidhan Bhavan in south Mumbai (Pic/Shadab Khan)