BEST unions protest against privatisation; officials deny claims

BEST staff at the protest at Wadala depot on Wednesday

The BEST trade unions at the mega rally on Wednesday decided to scale up their agitation against the alleged privatisation by the undertaking. The unions will start gate meetings at every bus depot from next week.

"We met in large numbers today at the Wadala depot and have drawn a battle plan to fight privatisation. It has been decided to meet employees at every bus depot at gate meetings starting Monday to discuss and convey to them what all is happening. This will be followed up by meeting their family members to take them into confidence and finally reaching out to Mumbaikars with a sincere appeal to save the good old red bus," Shashank Sharad Rao, convener, BEST Workers Joint Action Committee said.

"The larger focus will remain on three key demands, first is the violation of the legal Memorandum of Understanding of maintaining a fleet of self-owned 3,337 buses, a merger of the BEST and the civic budget, and opposing any move to privatise the undertaking," Rao said.

BEST spokesperson Manoj Varade vehemently denied that there was any move to privatise bus depots. A hand-written pressnote issued stated that there was no plan to privatise any bus stop now or in the near future. "We appeal to BEST bus staff and Mumbaikars not to believe in such statements which are misleading. The BEST has been working for the continuous welfare of Mumbai commuters to offer them the best possible services," the statement said.

The protests started after all BEST employees at the Pratiksha Nagar bus depot in Sion were transferred at one go last week. The ones hired to maintain a private fleet of buses were given charge of the depot. Trade unions said this was nothing but privatisation and akin to a working public transport bus depot being shut down without legal notice. BEST officials had refuted the allegations of any privatisation or conspiracy and said that it was for operational convenience.