Bus services from BEST’s Poisar depot were disrupted on Friday morning. (Representative image)
Bus Services Disrupted at Poisar Depot Due to Driver Strike
MUMBAI: Bus services from the BEST’s Poisar depot faced significant disruptions on Friday morning as contract drivers initiated a work stoppage over unpaid salaries. Only 10 out of the 29 buses at the depot were operational, primarily with the assistance of BEST’s own drivers.
The protest involved drivers employed by a sub-contractor of TSSL, who expressed frustration over delayed salary payments. This strike resulted in considerable inconvenience for daily commuters relying on these bus services.
BJP BEST committee member Ajay Singh raised the issue during Friday’s BEST committee meeting, questioning why contract workers were not being paid on time despite BEST releasing nearly 70% of the contractor’s bill as an interim payment on or before the seventh of every month. He also stressed that the approved interim salary hike of Rs 2,000 for drivers should be paid on time. You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Mumbai | Silver Rate in Mumbai | Bank Holidays in Mumbai | Public Holidays in Mumbai | Mumbai AQI | Weather in Mumbai | Petrol Price in Mumbai | Diesel Price in Mumbai | CNG Price in Mumbai | LPG Price in Mumbai Stay updated with the latest Mumbai news.
Singh said the contractor must ensure that salaries of contract drivers and other employees are paid by the seventh of each month from the amount received from BEST. While BEST releases payments to the OEM/main operator, the money does not always reach the sub-contractor on time, directly affecting salary payments to drivers and, consequently, bus operations, according to Singh. It is also about the regularity of bus services, commuter convenience and BEST’s reputation,” Singh said.
“This is not merely an issue of employees’ salaries. The disruption was particularly concerning as a similar situation had arisen for the second time at Poisar depot in the past two months after PMI began operations there. Download the TOI App.
Services returned to normal on Friday afternoon after the pending salaries of the contract employees were credited.