Amid hardships faced by Mumbaikars in view of the BEST buses not plying on roads due to the ongoing strike, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday cited a court order to term the protest illegal and asked the staff to resume work.
He said Deputy CM Eknath Shinde will convene a meeting to resolve the issue.
"The BEST strike is illegal. The court has passed an order in the matter, and, therefore, such a strike cannot be supported. Employees should resume work so that citizens of Mumbai do not face hardship," Fadnavis said.
The strike, called by the Sanyukt Kamgar Kruti Samiti of Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking, has virtually paralysed the civic-run bus transport system since Friday, forcing passengers to depend on local trains, Metro services, taxis and autorickshaws for their daily commute.
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The agitation has continued despite the government's invocation of the Maharashtra Essential Services Maintenance Act (MESMA) and an industrial court's ad-interim order restraining employees from calling a strike.
BEST's permanent and temporary staff, as well as most of the employees of wet-lease operators, have been participating in the protest.
Notices were served under the MESMA on Saturday to employees participating in the ongoing strike and to wet-lease contractors. Under MESMA, legal steps can be initiated against striking employees.
BEST operates a fleet of 2,766 buses and carries around 25 lakh passengers daily, making it Mumbai's second-largest public transport provider after the suburban railway network.
The employees' unions leading the protest stated on Saturday they were ready for talks with the government at any time and urged the state leadership to take an early decision on their pending demands.
The strike has led to a sharp increase in ridership on Metro services and added pressure on the suburban railway network, while many office-goers opted to work from home. Commuters reported long waits for taxis and autorickshaws and higher travel expenses due to the absence of buses.
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Union leaders have maintained that the agitation will continue until the government gives a definite commitment on their demands, including the merger of BEST's budget with that of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), implementation of the Seventh Pay Commission recommendations, settlement of retired employees' dues, abolition of contractual arrangements in transport and electricity operations.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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