Haryana Roadways employees continued their strike on Friday for the eleventh consecutive day, with hundreds of employees from various government departments going on mass causal leave to express solidarity with them.
The employees affiliated to Sarv Karamchari Sangh in Haryana and other trade unions went on a mass casual leave on Friday in support of ongoing strike by roadways employees.
Defying the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) being in force, the employees went on strike on October 16 and have extended their strike four times, announcing to continue it till October 29 against the State Government’s decision to hire 700 private buses in the state.
“Lakhs of employees went on mass casual leave as a result of which work in various government departments was badly hit. Among the departments where work was affected included the School Education Department, the Power Department, municipalities, the PWD (B&R), the Public Health Department and the Rural Development and Panchayats Department,” claimed the roadways union.
Roadways union leaders claimed that these employees also joined the transport workers at dharna at various places across the state.
As per the attendance status in Elementary Education Department, an overall attendance of only 19.75 percent was recorded. Out of 2079 DEE/DEEOs/BEEOs in the Education Department, 719 were present in the office on Friday, as per government’s record.
Subhash Lamba, general secretary of the Sarv Karamchari Sangh, Haryana, said that a large number of employees from the Tourism Department, besides Boards and Corporations also went on mass casual leave.
However, the emergency and essential services were attended by the employees who were on casual leave, he said.
“The State Government should immediately rollback its decision to run 700 private buses, take back cases registered against the striking transport workers under the Essential Services Maintenance Act or else we will be forced to take some big step,” he added.
Meanwhile, the State Government claimed that 2165 buses plied on Haryana roads on Friday. The government has ordered recruitment of 905 conductors under the part II of its outsourcing policy.
The Haryana Roadways employees had on Thursday announced to extend their ongoing strike till October 29 as their fresh round of talks with the State Government had failed to make any headway on Wednesday.
A day before, Chief Minister Manohar Lal had said that the work of employees unions should be to raise the issues and concerns pertaining to the welfare of employees. The policy decision are not under their purview and should be left to the government, he had said.
Manohar Lal had also made it clear that 700 private buses will be hired by the government as per a previous cabinet decision.
In a meeting with agitating employees, the State Government had offered to reconsider its on 190 private buses as the tenders for the same were yet to be finalised, but remained firm on 510 buses, saying it cannot be reworked as the Cabinet had already decided on this matter and signed an agreement to this effect.
The employees' union, however, has remained adamant on their demand that the tenders issued until now be cancelled under the kilometre scheme.
There are about 19,000 employees in the Haryana Roadways. The roadways, having a fleet of 4,100 buses, cater to about 12 lakh passengers daily.