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Jun 19, 20261
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Court Order and MESMA Block Planned BEST Strike in Mumbai

A planned indefinite strike by BEST Undertaking employees in Mumbai was halted on June 19 after an industrial court issued a temporary prohibition and the Maharashtra government invoked MESMA, making the agitation illegal. The action committee of 12 unions had called the strike over unmet demands including budget merger with BMC and implementation of pay commission recommendations.

Quick Facts
Who
BEST Sanyukt Kamgar Kruti Samiti (action committee of 12 unions)
What
Planned indefinite strike announced
When
June 19, 2026
Where
Mumbai
- Planned indefinite strike announced
- Industrial court issued temporary order prohibiting strike
- Maharashtra government invoked MESMA
- Strike was halted
- Two unions distanced themselves from strike call
A planned indefinite strike by employees of Mumbai's BEST Undertaking was halted on June 19, 2026, after an industrial court issued a temporary order prohibiting the action and the Maharashtra government invoked the Maharashtra Essential Services Maintenance Act (MESMA). The strike had been called by the BEST Sanyukt Kamgar Kruti Samiti, an action committee comprising 12 unions, to begin from midnight following unmet employee demands.
BEST, which operates as Mumbai's second-largest public transport provider after the suburban railway network, serves approximately 25 lakh passengers daily through a fleet of about 2,700 buses—of which only 243 are owned by BEST while the remainder are hired from private operators on a wet-lease basis. The undertaking also supplies electricity to over 10 lakh consumers in the island city. The strike posed a significant threat to the city's transportation and essential services infrastructure.
Employee demands include merger of BEST's budget with that of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), one-time settlement of legal dues for retired employees, implementation of the Seventh Pay Commission recommendations for 2016-2026, abolition of contractual arrangements in transport and electricity departments, and absorption of wet-lease bus workers into BEST. Additional demands include recruitment to vacant posts, operation of 6,000 buses under direct BEST ownership, staff promotions, and rejection of privatisation and public-private partnership models.
Following the strike announcement, BEST approached the industrial court, which issued an interim order prohibiting employee unions from proceeding with the action. Mumbai Police warned of legal consequences for disrupting public services or damaging property, and officials stated the government had made the agitation illegal under MESMA provisions. However, divisions emerged within the union movement when two unions—Shramik Utkarsh Sabha and BEST Kamgar Union, represented by BJP-affiliated leaders Prasad Lad and Shashank Rao—distanced themselves from the protest, stating they would pursue resolution through ongoing dialogue with administration and the state government.
Why This Matters
This strike suspension demonstrates the tension between public sector employee rights and essential service continuity in India's largest metro. The outcome signals how government intervention and legal mechanisms can override collective labor action, while the fragmentation of union support reveals internal divisions within organized labor. For commuters and residents, this directly impacts future transportation reliability and electricity access affecting 25 lakh daily passengers and 10 lakh consumers.
Timeline & Sources
Jun 19, 2026
WireBEST Sanyukt Kamgar Kruti Samiti announced indefinite strike from midnight at gathering in Dadar
Jun 19, 2026
WireMumbai Police issued warning of legal action against disruption of public services