Punjab’s bus commuters were a harried lot on Tuesday as around 3,000 government buses stayed off the roads in the wake of the strike call given by the contractual employees of Punjab Roadways and the Pepsu Road Transportation Corporation (PRTC).

However, the two-day strike was called off on Tuesday evening following the assurance of a meeting of the Roadways-Punbus Contract Workers’ Union with Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on July 10 to discuss their demands.

The union leaders maintained that a message was received from the Chief Minister’s Office through the administration officials, during the strike period, that a meeting has been fixed with the Chief Minister, after which a decision has been taken to call off the strike, which was to be observed on Wednesday also.

“Besides, we have been assured, as per the message received from the CMO, that all efforts will be made to fulfill all the demands of the contractual employees,” said a union leader.

Notably, on Tuesday, the contractual employees of the Punjab Roadways and the PRTC began a two-day strike to press for their demands, including regularization of their jobs and a five per cent hike in their annual salaries.

Apart from regularization and salary hike, they are demanding 30 per cent salary increase, a five per cent increment for underpaid employees, inclusion of their own buses instead of hiring under the kilometre scheme, an end to outsourced hiring, giving opportunities to blacklisted employees, among others.

The strike left many passengers stranded at bus stands, including in Sangrur, Ludhiana, Moga, Muktsar, Amritsar, Ferozepur, Hoshiarpur and Patiala.

Earlier in the day, Punjab Roadways, Punbus, PRTC Contract Workers’ Union secretary Gurvinder Singh said that they are staging demonstrations at all 27 bus depots in the state, including nine PRTC depots and 18 Punbus depots.

As per information available, there are approximately 2,800 employees under PRTC and 1,800 employees under Punbus — hired on a contractual basis. The protesters are demanding to end the practice of outsourcing employee hiring.

Demanding a “second chance” to the blacklisted employees, the union representatives pointed that the regular employees receive fines or other penalties for the same offenses and are given another chance to continue working while the contractual employees are terminated and blacklisted. Notably, around 200 employees in Punbus and approximately 130 employees in PRTC have been blacklisted for various violations, including absenteeism, ticket theft, and oil pilferage.

Waving black flags, the protesting employees raised slogans against the government and threatened to intensify their protest if their demands are not met.

Because of the strike by contractual employees, approximately 70 per cent of the buses have ceased operations, while the regular staff managed the remaining 30 per cent. In the private sector, there are around 6,000 private buses, including mini-buses, which have become overcrowded with passengers due to the strike.

According to the protesters, around 3,000 buses, including over 1,200 PRTC buses, have stayed off the roads. The strike inconvenienced many passengers, several of whom were unaware of the strike call. Women, who generally prefer state-owned buses because of the free travel scheme, were forced to take private vehicles.

Demands

·         Regularization of services

·         30% salary hike

·         5% increment for underpaid employees

·         Inclusion of their own buses instead of hiring under the kilometre scheme

·         End to outsourced hiring

·         Second chance to blacklisted employees