To boost the morale of BMC and BEST workers during last year’s lockdown, they were paid an additional Rs 300 a day in the first few months.
BEST was only city public transporter that did not take a break during lockdown
BEST employees complained to the management on Tuesday that the undertaking has not paid a special daily COVID allowance promised to them since June 2020. To boost the morale of BMC and BEST workers during last year’s lockdown, they were paid an additional Rs 300 a day in the first few months.
“We have sent a letter to the administration to resolve this as early as possible, and also placed a three-point demand that includes clearing all the pending dues since June 23, continuing the special allowance till pandemic subsides and raising the amount to Rs 500,” said Shashank Sharad Rao, convener, BEST Workers Joint Action Committee said.
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Civic workers were paid the allowance from April to December last year. The BMC then said they won’t get the allowance from January 2021. BEST employees said it was unfair on the part of their administration to hold on to their dues for such a long time. The transporter has 33,770 staffers on its roll as per the latest data.
The staff of the bus undertaking has been working as frontline workers as the BEST was the only public transporter in Mumbai that worked without a break since the lockdown was imposed in March 2020. During this period even the local trains, often referred to as the city’s lifeline, came to a halt for some time.
BEST officials said that the dues to civic employees were being jointly processed by the BMC and the transport undertaking and would be subsequently disbursed.
33,770
No. of employees the BEST currently has
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