Industrial court restricts BEST workers from holding strike

An industrial court here Monday restrained employees of the civic-run Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) Undertaking from going on a strike from midnight. Employees affiliated to the BEST Workers Union had declared they would go on strike from Monday midnight alleging that mounting BEST losses were causing delays in salary disbursal.

The union also demanded that BEST and Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) budgets be merged. The BEST management had declared the strike illegal and issued internal circulars warning staffers of strict action if they proceeded with it.

It further said provisions of the Maharashtra Essential Services Maintenance Act (MESMA) would be invoked against the union workers if they went ahead with the strike. When all talks between the parties failed, the BEST management approached the Industrial Court here seeking relief against the strike. Industrial Court Member S V Suryawanshi, after hearing brief arguments, restrained union workers from going on strike till it hears the complaint filed by BEST management.

(With inputs from agencies.)