According to the information received, the bus conductors and drivers are not receiving their salaries on time and there are various demands that they should be hired as permanent workers
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BEST bus services have been affected as the wet lease company workers have gone on a flash strike at Sion Pratiksha Nagar and Dharavi bus depots since this morning.
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BEST bus services were disrupted as wet lease workers staged a flash strike at Sion Pratiksha Nagar and Dharavi depots.
— Mid Day (@mid_day) January 13, 2025
The protest was triggered by the alleged mistreatment of a pregnant conductor denied light duties by a manager.
Workers also cited delayed salaries, low… pic.twitter.com/iybVJAaddq
The immediate trigger for this strike seems "insulting treatment" meted out to a pregnant lady conductor by employees of the wet lease company.
BEST commuters lamented that services of a once trusted and reliable undertaking have now become so unpredictable.
As per preliminary information, a lady bus conductor in her advanced stage of pregnancy sought light duties from the company manager, who denied it and insulted the lady. This has led to other employees protesting, leading to a flash strike.
The employees have also been upset about low and delayed salaries. According to the information received, the bus conductors and drivers are not receiving their salaries on time and there are various demands that they should be hired as permanent workers.
The workers belong to the wet lease company Mateshwari Urban Transport, which is operational at Santacruz, Majas, Wadala, Mulund besides Dharavi and Sion Pratiksha Nagar.
The wet-lease employees have been raising issue of better wages and also demanding better amenities at bus depots. The undertaking has said it will penalise contractors and levy fines.
According to the BEST undertaking, an incident of assault at the Pratiksha Nagar Depot has resulted in significant disruptions to bus services across the city. The confrontation involved Mathadi Workers Union Secretary, Pradeep Magare, and Supriya S. Kadam, a pregnant female conductor from the Mateshwari Bus Company, and Depot Manager Salim Khatri.
"The altercation took place between 2:15 PM and 2:45 PM on January 10 when Pradeep Magare visited the Anik Depot Manager, accompanied by Supriya S. Kadam, ID number 122 966. The visit aimed to request lighter duties for Kadam due to her pregnancy. However, tensions escalated when Salim Khatri reportedly called Kadam for a meeting, leading to a misunderstanding and subsequent assault by Magare and Kadam," the BEST undertaking said in a statement.
A case has been registered at the Wadala Truck Terminal Police Station. "BEST security officers, the depot managers, and the involved parties are cooperating with the police investigation. The Deputy Superintendent of Police for Dharavi and Pratiksha Nagar has also been summoned for further inquiries," the BEST undertaking said.
In response to the incident, employees at the Pratiksha Nagar and Anik depots staged protests, impacting the operation of approximately 210 buses — 110 at Pratiksha Nagar and 100 at Dharavi. The protests underline the unrest among the workers, emphasising the need for swift resolution and measures to prevent future incidents. Authorities are continuing their investigation, and more details are expected to emerge as the situation develops, said the BEST undertaking.
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