The BEST undertaking’s move to allow private operators to use its bus depot and assets at Pratiksha Nagar in Sion has received sharp criticism from trade unions, who said the administration has been indulging in unfair labour practices and have threatened protests. The BEST Workers’ union on Wednesday filed a complaint against the Undertaking and the BMC with the industrial court, over the alleged unfair labour practices.

“All BEST employees at the Pratiksha Nagar bus depot have been transferred last week. The ones hired to maintain a private fleet of buses have been kept there. This is nothing but privatisation and akin to a working depot being shut down without notice. We will strongly protest this,” BEST Workers’ Union leader Shashank Sharad Rao told mid-day.