Mumbai Bus Strike Looms: Private Operators, School Buses Affected, Are Labour Laws Applicable?

An uncertain bus strike in recent weeks was thrown by private operators in Mumbai and including school bus services, which were wiped out indefinitely only to be stopped based on government persuasion. Nationwide havoc could have been caused as a result of the proposed strike that was triggered by complaints about e-challans and infrastructure. This gives both short and medium term respite but poses serious questions about how labour laws apply to such important providers of transportation services and whether they should be enforced in the first place.