The Bombay High Court on Monday directed the committee headed by the Chief Secretary to hold a meeting to look into the grievances highlighted by Brihanmumbai Electric and Supply Transport (BEST) workers and submit a report in a sealed envelope on Tuesday.
A Division Bench of Chief Justice Naresh Patil and Justice N.M. Jamdar was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by advocate Datta Mane questioning the inconvenience caused to around 50 lakh commuters as 3,700 BEST buses have stopped plying.
The PIL said around 32,000 BEST employees have been on an indefinite strike since January 8, demanding higher salaries, a revision in pay scale for junior employees, and merger of the BEST budget with that of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).
Advocate Neeta Karnik, representing the BEST Workers’ Union, told the court that a sweeper employed with the BMC is paid ₹22,000 while a BEST driver earns ₹15,000. She said there is a lot of disparity and there was a resolution to merge the budgets of the BMC and the BEST, but it has not been implemented.
On this, the court inquired about why the demands are not being considered, and told the State and the corporation that they need to take a call on the resolution.
Advocate General Ashutosh Kumbhakoni said the strike is illegal and that BEST workers are losing the sympathy of everyone by going on with the strike. “A committee headed by the chief secretary has been constituted and it will look into it,” he said.
The court said, “A comprehensive settlement has to take place.”
Senior counsel Anil Sakhare appearing for the BMC said, “The strike has added to the cumulative loss of ₹3,000 crore of the BEST.”
The HC asked, “If any ad hoc relief is possible so that the committee can function” and said, “you want them (workers) to withdraw (strike), then you need to give ad hoc relief.”
The Bench said the demands of the workers have to be taken up as the first priority by the committee.
