Mumbai's Commute on Edge as Wet-Lease Workers Vote for Equal Pay Strike

To add to the woes of Mumbaikars, a BEST strike is likely soon. Wet-lease employees of the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) Undertaking voted overwhelmingly in July to strike work in support of their demand for ‘equal work, equal pay.’

Workers and unions underwent a month-long ballot process to decide whether to go on strike. A final decision will be taken on BEST Diwas, August 7, union leaders announced on Friday.

This development is a matter of concern as over 85 per cent of the BEST bus fleet is currently operated by wet-lease contractors. According to available data, BEST operates 2661 buses, of which only 430 are owned by the undertaking. This fleet size also violates a Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2019 between the transport utility and BEST unions, which mandates that BEST should maintain 3337 buses in its own fleet.

“Since the work done by the permanent and temporary workers in the transport department of the BEST Undertaking is similar to the work done by the wet-lease employees, why should they not receive the same pay and perks?” said Shashank Sharad Rao of the Sangharsh Labour Employees’ Union.

Workers employed through wet-lease operators, including the joint venture of Shree Maruti Travels and Arham Transportation Pvt Ltd (SMTATPL Associates, Daga Group), Mateshwari Urban Transport Solutions Pvt Ltd, BVG India Ltd, and others, perform the same duties but are not paid according to the same scale or given the same service conditions as regular BEST employees. This violates the principle of 'equal work, equal pay' and constitutes a breach of labour law by both the private contractors and the BEST Undertaking.

The Sangharsh Labour Employees’ Union has repeatedly submitted representations to the Municipal Commissioner, the General Manager of BEST, and private contractors regarding this issue, but the principle of 'equal pay for equal work' has still not been implemented.

In July, the workers voted in three phases to decide whether to go on strike to press for their demand. The first phase of voting took place on July 8, 2025, the second on July 22, and the final phase on July 27 in the remaining two depots. The votes were counted on Thursday, July 31, 2025, Rao said.

The highest number of wet-lease employees is at Pratiksha Nagar depot (600), followed by Mulund and Santacruz depots, with 552 employees each. Voting was completed across all depots in three phases, with 5051 of the 5998 eligible workers casting their votes. Of these, 4986 voted in favour of the strike, seven voted against it, and 58 votes were declared invalid. “In accordance with this result, we will decide our future course of action at the next meeting of our office bearers on Thursday, August 7, 2025,” Rao added.

The potential strike could paralyse the city’s transport system, affecting the daily commute of millions of Mumbaikars. The BEST Undertaking, which is a key provider of public transport in Mumbai, will need to address the demands of the wet-lease employees to avoid a major disruption.