BEST buses lying idle at a depot in Mumbai after drivers, conductors go on a flash strike
The Bombay High Court has held a strike by drivers and conductors of public buses in Mumbai illegal. It ordered them back on the road by 5 this evening.
Thousands of public buses have been off the roads in the metropolis today after the flash strike by the drivers and conductors, who are opposing longer duty hours.
Before the court intervened, Trade Union Leader Sharad Rao told NDTV, "We don't have any intention to strike. It is torture and harassment which resulted in heart attacks and one of them (driver) is hospitalised. One of them is in a very bad condition. It's ill treatment by the General Manager and his hooligans and officers who are behaving in this manner. So I don't term it as a strike at all."
But there has been no response from the unions so far who are planning to challenge the order in a higher court, according to sources.
Officials said most of the city's 26,000 bus drivers and conductors did not show up at work today, bringing India's commercial capital to a halt with about 45 lakh passengers left in the lurch.
More than 90 per cent of the BEST or Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport-run public buses have not run all day. These buses are also the main connecting service for Mumbai's local trains, considered to be the city's lifeline.
BEST workers fear that their duty hours will increase from eight to 12 hours in a new schedule that comes into effect today, reports Mid-Day.
The management is in talks with the workers to resolve the dispute and commuters hope the court order will end the chaos but the suspense of what next on Wednesday morning, still continues.
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