On 12 March 2005, the employees of Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport Undertaking (BEST) in Mumbai, ended their three-day strike when the company management agreed to provide the workers a monthly interim arrears payment for the period April 2001 to March 2005.

On 10 March 2005, around 45,000 employees of BEST began an indefinite strike paralysing the more than 3,200-strong bus service in the city. In Mumbai, the highly populated metropolis, daily commuters of BEST is estimated as 4.5 million.

According to the BEST Workers Union, the workers have not received a pay increase for the last five years. In the new settlement after the successful strike, the company has also agreed to give employees with more than 10 years service an additional Rs 1,000 per month. Others will be paid Rs 800 per month. The settlement also includes the appointment of an arbitrator to work out a final wage settlement within three months.