Rs 500cr released towards retired BEST employees’ dues; Union threatens strike on June 18 for welfare demands

Mumbai: In a major relief for thousands of retired BEST employees, a decision has been taken to release the first instalment of Rs 500 crore towards clearing long-pending retirement dues. The decision was taken at a meeting chaired by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis at his official residence, Varsha.

MLC Prasad Lad, who has consistently highlighted the issue through the Shramik Utkarsh Sabha, welcomed the decision. He described it as an important milestone in ensuring justice and financial security for retired workers.

Despite the announcement, labour unions remain firm in their demands for a comprehensive resolution of all pending issues. The BEST Sanyukt Kamgar Kruti Samiti has reiterated its strike call for June 18, pressing for action on a range of concerns, including salary delays, employee welfare measures, and service conditions impacting both permanent and contractual workers in the transport and electricity divisions.

Reacting to the development, Uday Ambonkar, General Secretary of BEST Karmachari Sena, termed the Rs 500 crore allocation a “welcome but inadequate” measure. He pointed out that the sanctioned amount falls short of clearing the entire backlog of dues and urged the BMC to ensure full and timely settlement of all outstanding payments.

Meanwhile, union representatives met BEST committee chairperson Trushna Vishwasrao on Tuesday, seeking implementation of court-mandated arrears for junior employees, improved welfare provisions, and regularisation of casual workers.