Trouble seems not to end for the Hooda-led Congress Government in Haryana as disgruntled Haryana Roadways employees have once again blew the war horn on Wednesday against the State Government over its failure to meet their long-pending demands.
In a meeting held here on Wednesday, All Haryana Roadways Workers’ Union (AHRWU) asked the State Government to fulfil their long pending demands by May 22 and made it clear that if the Government didn’t pay heed to their demands, then the roadways employees would be forced to organise gate meetings at all depots, across the State to register their protest.
Hari Narayan Sharma, State president of AHRWU said, “In the initial phases we will protest for two hours after holding gate meetings. If the State Government doesn’t act after our symbolic protest, then we would organise a maha-sammelan of our employees on June 7 at Kurukshetra, to decide the further course of action.
The union members were irked by the State Government’s failure to abide by its words given to other employees’ union in the State. There is a possibility that the peeved employees of various unions in the State might join hands to protest after formulating a joint platform, as it happened in the past when roadways employees joined the protest march of Haryana Employees’ Sangh, said Sharma.
This is not the first time that the State Government is facing this crisis. Earlier under the leadership of Sarbat Singh Punia, who was also joined by other senior leaders, severe protest were carried out by roadways employees against the State Governments’ newly introduced Stage Carriage Scheme, 2013.
The protest brought to halt the State machinery leaving lakhs of commuters stranded. It was also a nightmare for the State as the revenue losses ran into crores of rupees, forcing the State Government at the back-foot.
Randeep Singh Surjewala, State Cabinet Minister, had to intervene on behalf of the Chief Minister at that time and negotiated with the protestors. later, a joint meeting of employees’ leaders was held with Transport Minister Aftab Ahmed and Deputy Principal Secretary CM RS Doon.
In the meeting the State Government promised to fulfil the genuine demands of the union members. The State Government did agree to meet some of the demands put before them at that time, but now the employees are demanding that all their demands should be met on a priority basis.