BEST to give Rs 5,000 bonus to its workers

Mumbai, Nov 1 (UNI) The Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport Undertaking (BEST) management today decided to give Rs 5,000 as bonus to its workers for Diwali festival and Rs 2,500 as advance payment.

The decision was taken after a long drawn battle with the union for the bonus that resulted in many allegations and counter allegations between the BEST Workers' Union secretary Sharad Rao and BEST general manager Uttam Khobragade.

There are around 45,000 workers in the undertaking and the bonus will cost the undertaking around Rs 190 crore.

It may be recalled that the BEST management had said that the undertaking was running into losses and did not have enough money to pay salary to the staff, and it had ruled out the question of paying bonus to the staff citing as a far-fetched idea.

UNI