MUMBAI, June 20 -- Commuters who rely on BEST buses for their daily commute were stranded on Friday as most buses stayed off the streets on day one of an indefinite strike called by employee unions. Discussions were held between the unions and the transport minister but union leaders say they need to be "taken forward at the highest level". Long queues were seen at bus stops across Mumbai as commuters waited for vehicles that never turned up. Left high and dry, commuters turned to alternative modes of transport such as autorickshaws, metro rail, taxis and aggregator taxi services, disrupting routines and forcing delays office-goers and students could ill-afford. Of a fleet of 2,766 buses, only 48 buses left BEST depots on Friday morning. Twenty eight buses that attempted to ply were damaged in sporadic incidents of stone pelting. Some were forced to return to their depots. The BEST is Mumbai's second-largest public transport provider after the suburban railway network, carrying 3 million commuters daily through its bus services. The strike has been called by the BEST Joint Workers' Action Committee, which comprises 12 employee unions, to pressure the authorities to address pending demands. It was launched despite an ad-interim order passed by an industrial court on Thursday, restraining employees from striking work. Unions have also defied the state government's order invoking the Maharashtra Essential Services Maintenance Act (MESMA), prohibiting the disruption of essential services. "The strike has been a success. No buses are leaving the depots," said Uday Ambonkar, president, BEST Joint Workers' Action Committee. "We have also reached out to wet lease employees, who too have participated." Trushna Vishwasrao, chairperson of the BEST committee, said the undertaking had urged unions not to go on strike, especially since an aid package for the BEST has been cleared. "We have already paid Rs.200 crore as dues to retired employees. Moreover, we will be getting Rs.500 crore from the BMC, which has agreed to provide aid. Despite this, the unions went on strike, against court orders," she said. Striking unions are demanding the procurement of 5,000 BEST-owned buses, recruitment of staff, promotions for senior employees, payment of statutory dues to retired employees, and protection of BEST assets from sale or long-term leasing. They are also demanding the merger of BEST's budget with that of the BMC, and the absorption of wet-lease staff and buses by the undertaking. All through the day, meetings were held at the BEST headquarters and at Mantralaya to hammer out solutions. When they made no headway, state transport minister Pratap Sarnaik met with the unions. Appealing to employees to withdraw the strike, he said efforts were being made to convene a meeting during the upcoming legislative session under the chairmanship of the chief minister, and in the presence of the deputy chief ministers, to arrive at a final solution. Stressing that the BEST is Mumbai's lifeline and carries nearly 3 million passengers daily, Sarnaik urged employees to consider the inconvenience being caused to citizens and return to work while talks continue. However, union leaders refused to call off the strike. Ambolakar said the discussions with the minister were only the first step and needed to be taken forward at the highest level. "The discussions with the transport minister need to be taken forward and finalised. Until a meeting takes place with the chief minister or deputy chief minister, our protest will continue," said Ambolakar....