BEST Bus Workers Launch Strike at Dharavi Depot Over Unpaid Dues and Budget Merger
Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) employees launched a large-scale strike and protest at the Dharavi depot in Mumbai on Friday, June 19, 2026, disrupting public bus services across the city. The workers joined the demonstration to demand a pay revision, the clearance of retirees' dues, pending gratuity payments, and the merger of the BEST budget with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) budget.
The protest initially began at the Dharavi depot on Thursday before spreading to 27 transport depots across Mumbai by Friday. In response to the expanding demonstrations, authorities deployed large police teams at various depots to ensure the situation remained under control. The strike proceeded despite a court issuing an ad-interim order forbidding a cease-work protest.
According to BEST workers' union leader Ranganath Satavase, both serving and retired employees are facing severe financial difficulties. Satavase stated that retired staff members have not received their dues since 2022. He also pointed out that waitlisted workers are currently being denied minimum wages, which he asserted is a responsibility that lies directly with the administration and the government.
Union members also raised concerns over a government proposal to redevelop BEST depots under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model. Satavase noted that these arrangements typically involve handing over public depots on a 99-year lease, raising serious questions among the workforce about whether BEST will survive in its current form if the plan moves forward.
Additionally, the protesters are demanding the long-pending merger of the BEST budget with the BMC budget. Workers believe this integration is necessary to strengthen the financial footing of the municipal transport body.
Dinesh, another protesting worker, stated that the strike has the backing of the entire BEST workforce, with all 12 well-known unions participating in the action. He noted that the wage agreement spanning from 2016 to 2021 remains unresolved, and retired employees are still waiting for their gratuity payments. Protesters warned that the movement will continue indefinitely if the administration fails to act on their grievances.
