The BEST strike organised by Shashank Rao's union that enters the fifth day today, has broken the record of his father, Sharad Rao's strike in 1998. The last three-day BEST strike was organised by Sharad Rao on October 6, 1998, for higher bonus and better medical facilities. The one before that was a 10-day strike organised by George Fernandes in the 1970s, an old-time employee recalled.

On Friday, even as scores of meetings at various levels failed, the Bombay High Court asked the BEST Workers' Union to hold a meeting of its office-bearers to break the stalemate. The Maharashtra government had set up a committee, headed by the chief secretary, to hold talks with the union. Secretaries of the urban development and transport departments were also part of the committee.