BEST management, unions hopeful of a settlement to end strike

Mumbai, Apr 22 (UNI) The third round of meeting between the BEST management and employees union, which commenced this evening, was still going on to find an amicable solution and end the two-day old strike.

The BEST management and union leaders are confident that the issue would be sorted out tonight.

The unions, led by BEST Kamgar Sena chairman Suhas Samant and BEST Workers Union general Secretary Sharad Rao, are negotiating with BEST chairman Surendra Bagalkar, BMC deputy mayor Ramesh Medekar, BJP BMC House leader Paraj Alavani and BEST general manager Swadin Kshatriya.

Over 42,000 Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) employees have launched an indefinite strike since Thursday midnight, causing severe hardship to lakhs of bus commuters in the metropolis.

Employees had struck work demanding a pay revision. The unions have demanded merger of dearness allowance (DA) with basic pay. The unions are adamant on the issue while the management, too, has insisted on accepting the recommendations of the pay revision committee.

UNI PVN MAZ KD HT2140