A day after talks between Haryana Government and the striking roadways employees failed to yield any positive results, the employees’ unions have announced to extend the strike till October 25 even as it entered its seventh day on Monday.
Despite the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) being in force, the agitating employees have threatened to continue the strike on Monday till the withdrawal of State Government’s decision to hire 700 private buses in Haryana.
“The coordination committee meeting has decided to extend strike by three days till October 25. Government is not serious on our demand and they are bent upon privatising the roadways,” alleged Balwan Sigh, a member of the coordination committee of the Haryana Roadways Employees Union.
The meeting of coordination committee of Haryana roadways employees was held at Ambala on Monday.
Singh said that the talks broke down on Sunday because of the government's rigid approach. We will not allow them to hire private buses even if we have to continue our stir for long, he added.
The unions accused the government of remaining adamant on an anti-employee stand and leaving the employees with no other option but to hold strike.
The Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, however, ruled out to roll back his government's decision to augment the state transporter's fleet by hiring 700 private buses.
The Chief Minister, while talking to the mediapersons here dismissed the allegations by the opposition and the roadways union leaders that the government's decision to hire 700 private buses is aimed at benefitting private transporters.
Manohar Lal said the roadways union leaders should raise issues pertaining to the employees and must not interfere into the government's policy matters.
“We have already said these 700 buses will be under the control of the Haryana Roadways and will be part of its fleet, we are not giving permits to private players,” he said.
The addition of private buses, which would be plied on kilometre-basis, would not affect the roadways employees in any manner, he added.
When asked about the peoples' inconvenience due to the ongoing stir by the roadways employees, Manohar Lal said the government has made alternate arrangements and would shortly hire new drivers and conductors to ensure no one faces any hardship.
Sources said that the State Government has sought help from neighboring states of Punjab, Himachal, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan to ply their state buses in Haryana during the ongoing strike.
Defying ESMA, the employees have been on strike since October 16.
As per the data collected by the Transport Department on Monday, Chandigarh-New Delhi bus services has continued despite the strike. There are 3897 roadways buses at 24 depots and 884 plied till the evening. 41 probationer drivers have been dismissed. Apart from this, 1059 other buses were also plied for the convenience of commuters, stated government’s data.
Meanwhile, Haryana Government has appealed to the under probation employees of state roadways to get back to their work at the earliest.
A spokesman of the Transport Department said that the Department had issued appointment letters to 1,628 bus drivers selected by the Haryana Staff Selection Commission, of which 1,547 bus drivers had assumed the charge in different depots.
He said that the State Government has given assurance that if they get back to their work then they would be dealt with mildly for their involvement in the strike. After getting back to work, their safety would be the responsibility of the District Administration and the State Government, the spokesman added.