Employees of the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) have launched an indefinite strike starting midnight of Thursday, 18 June 2026. The action was announced by a joint committee of 12 unions representing BEST staff after authorities failed to meet their long pending demands.
The strike could affect two critical services in Mumbai: bus transport and electricity supply in South Mumbai. The city’s second largest public transport provider after the suburban railway, BEST carries around 25 lakh passengers daily. It also supplies electricity to more than 10 lakh consumers.
Workers are demanding the merger of BEST’s budget with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), settlement of pending legal dues for retired staff, and implementation of the Seventh Pay Commission recommendations for 2016–2026. They also want an end to contractual arrangements in transport and electricity departments, absorption of wet lease bus workers into the permanent workforce, and filling of vacant posts.
Other demands include expanding the fleet to 6,000 BEST owned buses (from the current 243, with most vehicles hired under wet lease contracts), granting promotions to eligible employees, and stopping privatisation or public private partnership initiatives.
The strike has already disrupted weekend travel plans for many commuters. District officials are expected to mediate, but unions have said the protest will continue until demands are met.
The development highlights growing tensions over pay, job security, and the future of public transport in Mumbai, with thousands of daily commuters likely to face difficulties until the dispute is resolved.
