Study committee to review BEST wage revision proposal

Mumbai: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Tuesday recommended BEST's latest wage revision proposal to the government-appointed study committee, taking an important step towards resolving salary-related issues affecting thousands of employees. It also deals with bringing wet lease staffers on a par with full-time drivers and conductors. BEST committee chairperson Trushna Vishwasrao said this was an important decision, which will now expedite the process of revised wage agreement for BEST employees, notional wage fixation for casual workers and implementation of 'Equal Pay for Equal Work' for wet lease workers. A few days back, the BEST panel had cleared the proposal and forwarded it to BMC for recommendation to the govt-appointed committee. The decision will directly benefit over 38,200 employees of the BEST undertaking. The BMC also cleared proposal to give Rs 99 subsidised bus pass to retired BEST staffers. Recommendations have been made regarding three key points as follows: 1) Revised wage agreement for the period 2016 to 2025 -- raising the wage agreement effective from 2016-by aligning pay scales with those of the 7th Pay Commission applicable to state and BMC employees and implementing the new wage agreement for the 2016-2025 period. This decision will benefit approximately 27,000 employees and impose a financial burden of Rs 6,000 crore on the undertaking due to outstanding dues. 2) Equal Pay for Wet-Lease Workers: Citing legal opinions and Rules 21 and 25 of the Maharashtra Contract Labour Rules, 1971, the recommendation endorses 'Equal Pay for Equal Work' for wet-lease drivers and contractual staff, matching permanent pay grades. This will impact nearly 9,000 contractual workers, adding an annual financial commitment of Rs 475 crore. 3) Notional Wage Fixation: Casual workers are slated to receive notional pay fixation effective from their original joining dates. This measure covers around 2,200 employees, carrying an estimated cost of Rs 300 crore. 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. Download the TOI App.